This study was carried out to investigate the expression pattern and role of osteopontin (OPN) in late global ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury with or without resveratrol (RES) pre-treatment. Young male rats were divided into 3 groups (n = 12) of I) sham, II) I/R model group and III) I/R + RES. Vehicle and RES (20 mg/kg) were administered to designed groups intraperitoneally 30 days prior global I/R injury (2-VO) induction and continued for 7 days, later. Then, percentages of infarct areas, mRNA levels of OPN, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and other biochemical parameter related to endogenous antioxidants activities and inflammation were measured in the cerebral cortices of all groups. Significant elevations in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), the inflammatory mediator interleukin 1β (IL-1β), chemokines (KC and MIP-2) and adhesive molecules (ICAM-1) as well as parallel reductions in enzymes activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) were observed in the cerebral homogenates of rats with late I/R injury. Associated with these changes, mRNA levels of OPN were significantly downregulated and those of iNOS and Bax were upregulated. All these changes were reversed by in 2-VO I/R induced rats pre-administered RES. These findings suggest that inhibition of sustained inflammatory response driven by IL-1β, decreased activities of endogenous antioxidants and downregulation of OPN induced upregulation of iNOS play important roles in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration during late cerebral I/R injury, effects that can be modulated by RES which might explain its neuroprotection effect during late global ischemia.