Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation is a novel means of treating cerebral ischemia/reper-fusion, and can promote angiogenesis and neurological functional recovery. Acupuncture at Conception and Govor vessels also has positive effects as a treatment for cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. Therefore, we hypothesized that electro-acupuncture at Conception and Govor vessels plus mesenchymal stem cell transplantation may have better therapeutic effects on the promotion of angiogenesis and recovery of neurological function than either treatment alone. In the present study, human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells were isolated, cultured, identified and intracranially transplanted into the striatum and subcortex of rats at 24 hours following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. Subsequently, rats were electro-acupunctured at Conception and Govor vessels at 24 hours after transplantation. Modified neurological severity scores and immunohistochemistry ifndings revealed that the combined interventions of electro-acupuncture and mesenchymal stem cell transplantation clearly improved neurological impairment and up-regulated vascular endothelial growth factor expression around the isch-emic focus. The combined intervention provided a better outcome than mesenchymal stem cell transplantation alone. These ifndings demonstrate that electro-acupuncture at Conception and Govor vessels and mesenchymal stem cell transplantation have synergetic effects on promot-ing neurological function recovery and angiogenesis in rats after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.