Objective: To study the development of connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) immunoreactive cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of E8-P300 rats. Methods: Immunocytochemistry was employed in our study. Results: No CTGF-immunoreactive cells were detected in the CNS of rats during prenatal stages. A few of CTGF-positive cells were detected in the early postnatal stage. However, the positive cells increased gradually in later stages. CTGF-immunoreactive cells widely distributed in the CNS of rats in the first 30 to 60 days postnatally, and the density of immunoreactive products was the highest in these days. The number and staining intensity of CTGF-positive cells decreased and their area of distribution diminished gradually with age. The positive cells included neurons mainly located in the cingulate cortex,striatum, hippocampus, hypothalamus and cerebellum, and astrocytes in white matter of the spinal cord and ependymal cells of the brain. Most of CTGF-immunoreactive cells were quite big in size with a long process. Conclusion: CTGF-immunoreactive cells were found in the CNS of rats, and their numbers and positive signal decreased with the age.