Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the time evolution and distribution of cerebral apoptosis using the middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats. Methods: A total of twenty four male rats - with 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion respectively - were studied. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick-end labeling(TUNEL) method was used for the observation of the apoptotic cells. The apoptotic ratio was calculated and the distribution of apoptosis was inspected in the pyriform cortex, basal ganglia and middle cerebral artery territory cortex. The rats were divided into three groups(Group I : $2{sim}4$ hours of occlusion, Group II : $6{sim}$12 hours of occlusion, Group III : $24{sim}48$ hours of occlusion). Results: In this study, the proportion of apoptosis increased with the duration of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reached a maximum after about 12 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The mean values of the apoptotic ratio were $30.7{pm}11.3%$ in group I, $60.8{pm}2.6%$ in group II and $48.7{pm}0.7%$ in group III. The distribution of apoptosis differed in the pyriform cortex, basal ganglia and middle cerebral artery territory cortex according to the duration of time of the middle cerebral artery occlusion. Conclusion: In the middle cerebral artery occlusion model of the rats, apoptosis is found to increase according to the occlusion time, reaching a peak after 6 hours, and the distribution of apoptosis changed from the pyriform cortex to the basal ganglia and middle cerebral artery territory cortex.