The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of uvulonodullectomy (UNL) on the expression of cFos-like protein (FLP) in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVe) during vestibular compensation and effect of MK801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, on FLP expression in the brain stem nuclei at 6 h after unilateral labyrinthectomy (ULX) with UNL in Sprague-Dawley rats. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to visualize FLP in the brain stem nuclei and FLP-positive cells were counted by image analyzer. Lesion-induced asymmetric expression of FLP in the bilateral MVe was observed and maintained up to for 72 h in the ULX group, and 120 h in the UNL + ULX group. Moreover, spatial pattern of FLP expression in the bilateral MVe exhibited the marked difference between the ULX and UNL + ULX groups. MK801 treatment 6 h after ULX showed significant increase in the number of FLP in contralateral MVe (cMVe) of the ULX group, but decrease in cMVe of the UNL + ULX group. These results suggest that the lesion of vestibulocerebellum delays the temporal recovery of FLP expression in MVe and the vestibulocerebellar NMDA receptors relate to FLP expression in MVe.