Objective:To evaluate the neural differentiation potential of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and apoptosis of the neuron-like cells in vitro. Methods:MSCs were isolated from rat bone marrow,seeded at passage 3 and cultured in L-DMEM with neural cell inductors(EGF,bFGF). Cells were divided three groups according to the time of induction:group A was induced for 3 days;and group B was inducd for 7 days;and group C was induced for 14 days . The markers of neural cells such as NSE,Map2 were detected by immunocytochemistry. TUNEL method was used to calculate the percentages of neuron-like cells apoptosis. Results:MSCs appeared typical morphological neuronal traits after induction,NSE,MAP2 were expressed,but the expression intensity and the percentage of the positive cells attenuated in group C compared with those in group B(P < 0.05). The percentage of apoptosis cells detected by tunnel gradually increased from A to C groups(P < 0.05). Conclusion:Combination of bFGF and EGF can induce MSCs to differentiate into neuron-like cells,but the status of induced cells plummeted and the percentage of apoptosis cells increased in a time-dependent manner.