Background:　In　plastic　surgery,　skin　damage　induced　by　ischemia/reperfusion　(I/R)　is　a　multifactorial　process　that　often　occurs.　Methane　gas　has　been　reported　to　be　a　new　therapeutic　gas　for　attenuating　I/R　injury.　In　this　study,　we　assessed　the　effects　of　methane-rich　saline　(MRS)　in　regulating　apoptosis　on　skin　flap　I/R　injury.　Methods:　Male　Sprague-Dawley　rats,　6-8　weeks　old,　were　divided　randomly　into　three　groups:　one　sham　surgery　group　(SH)　and　two　surgery　groups.　After　undergoing　6　h　of　I/R　management　of　an　abdominal　skin　flap,　surgery　groups　were　treated　with　physiological　saline　(I/R-P)　or　methane-rich　saline　(I/R-M).　On　the　3rd　postoperative　day,　a　laser　Doppler　flowmeter　was　used　to　measure　flap　blood　supply,　and　hematoxylin　and　eosin　(H&E)　staining　was　used　to　observe　morphological　changes.　TdT-mediated　dUTP-X　nick　end　labeling　(TUNEL)　staining　was　also　used　to　observe　early　apoptosis　and　is　presented　as　the　percentage　of　TUNEL-positive　cells.　Moreover,　pASK-1,　pJNK,　Bcl-2　and　Bax　were　detected　by　immunohistochemical　technology.　Caspase-3　activity　was　also　measured　to　evaluate　the　effects　of　MRS.　Results:　Compared　to　the　I/R-P　group,　the　flaps　in　the　I/R-M　group　presented　a　larger　survival　area　and　better　blood　perfusion　with　less　inflammatory　infiltration　and　cell　apoptosis,　a　higher　expression　of　Bcl-2,　a　lower　expression　of　pASK-1,　pJNK　and　Bax,　and　a　lower　caspase-3　activity.　Conclusion:　According　to　the　results,　MRS　attenuated　I/R　injury　by　regulating　apoptosis　and　has　the　potential　to　be　applied　as　a　new　therapy　for　improving　skin　flap　survival.