Objective(s): Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) can effectively promote axonal regeneration，limit axonal retraction，and produce a statistically significant improvement in motor recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the role in primate animals with SCI is not fully cognized. Materials and Methods:18 healthy juvenile rhesuses were divided randomly into six groups, observed during the periods of 24 hr, 7 days, 14 days, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months after T11 hemisecting. The GDNF localization, changes in the injured region, and the remote associate cortex were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results: Immunohistochemical staining showed that GDNF was located in the cytoplasm and the neurite of the neurons. Following SCI, the number of GDNF positive neurons in the ventral horn and the caudal part near the lesion area were apparently reduced at detected time points (P