OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of vasostomy on apoptosis in the male rat spermatogenic cells after vasoligation. METHODS: Model of vasoligation and vasostomy in male rat was established, and then terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick labelling technique to detect the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells at 4, 8, 12, 16 weeks after vasostomy. RESULTS: The number of apoptotic cells in vasostomy group was significantly lower than that of vasoligation group since 8 weeks after vasostomy(P lt; 0.05). The number of apoptotic cells in 8 and 12 weeks after vasostomy were significantly higher than that in prevasoligation(P lt; 0.05). 16 weeks after vasostomy, the number of apoptotic cells restored to the level same as that in prevasoligation stage. CONCLUSION: Vasostomy can reverse the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells due to vasoligation.