Using the model of pharmacological stimulation of rat sciatic nerve regeneration, the effect of pyrimidine derivative ximedon on survival of different populations of LIV-LV dorsal root ganglion neurons, their expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein and number of neurons surrounded by vimentin-positive satellite cell, was studied. 90 days after nerve cutting, ximedon was found to reduce posttraumatic death of neurons having both medium-sized and large perikarya by 35.5% and 42.8%, respectively, to support Bcl-2 expression in all neuronal populations and to modify vimentin expression in satellite cells. After nerve cutting, the number of small and medium-sized neurons with vimentin-expressing satellite cells was significantly increased while the population of large neurons was diminished. Nerve regeneration stimulation by ximedon induced the increase in the number of large neurons, surrounded by vimentin-expressing satellite cells, up to the levels found in intact animals.