Transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) into the injured spinal cord has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects and promote functional recovery. In the present study, we investigated the potential modulatory effects of OECs on the inflammatory reaction developed after photochemical injury to the spinal cord. OEC cultures were obtained from olfactory bulbs of adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Photochemical spinal cord injury was induced in adult rats at T8. Thirty minutes after the insult, either a suspension of OECs (180 000 cells in 12 µl DMEM) or DMEM alone was injected into the lesioned spinal cord. At 3, 7 and 14 days post-operation (dpo), five animals from each group were processed for histology. Double-fluorescent labeling of transverse sections of the cord were made by combination of immunohistochemistry for inflammatory markers, interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and for selective markers of astrocytes (glial fibrillar acidic protein; GFAP) and microglia/macrophages (tomato lectin; LEC). Differences in the intensity and time course of glial response, and IL-1β and iNOS expression were found between the two groups of rats. The reactivity grade against IL-1β, iNOS, GFAP and LEC in OEC-transplanted rats was higher at 7 dpo and lower at 14 dpo compared with DMEM-injected rats. These results indicate that the mechanisms underlying neuroprotection by OECs might be caused by earlier, higher and shorter duration of microglia/macrophage and astrocyte responses after injury.