Abstract： Objective To study the protective function of nimodipine on facial nerve injury and its effect on the expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Methods Ninety-six SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, facial nerve injury group, nimodipine pretreatment group, and nimodipine post-treatment group. Rat models of facial nerve injury in thc later 3groups were established. The dynamic changes of expression of GDNF were observed by HE staining and Western blotting in different treatment groups and at different time points (1, 3 and 6 months after the injury). Restdts Compared with the facial nerve injury group, the nimodipine pretreatment and post-treatment groups had significantly less severe nerve damage and significantly up-rcgulated expression of GDNF (P＜0.05). The expression of GDNF in the nimodipine pretreatment group was statistically higher than that in the nimodipine post-treatment group (P＜0.05). However, the expression of GDNF in the nimodipine post-treatment group was not statistically different from that in the facial nerve injury group 3 and 6 months after the injury (P＞0.05). Conclusion Nimodipine has significant facial nerve protective effect, and one of the mechanisms of nimodipine to protect the facial nerve is to regulate the GDNF expression.