Objective:The present study was designed to use cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with hypoxia-reoxygenation（H/R） to mimic in vivo ischemia-reperfusion injury（I/R）

and investigate the protective mechanism of fuzi polymccharide in cardiomyocytes against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury through metallothionein.Method:Cultured rat myocardial cells were divided into four groups:control

H/R

and fuzi polymccharide treatment groups.The cells in H/R group were incubated primarily in hypoxic buffer solution for 3 hours

thereafter

these cells were incubated for 6 hours in normal culture medium.The cells in fuzi polymccharide treatment group were cultured in medium added with 10.0

1.0

0.1 g·L-1 fuzi polymccharide for 24 hours before H/R.metallothionein of cardiomyocytes was measured by ELIZA

cell apoptosis of cardiomyocytes was measured by flow cytometry

MDA of cardiomyocytes and LDH in cell culture media were also measured.Result:As compared with H/R group

pretreatment with high and moderate dose of fuzi polymccharide increased the synthesis of metallothionein

decreased the synthesis of MDA and release of LDH.High dose of fuzi polymccharide decreased cardiomyocyte apoptosis.Conclusion:These data suggest that fuzi polymccharide pretreatment can protect cardiomyocytes from H/R injury.The mechanism is related to its enhancement of metallothionein synthesis

scavenging of oxygen free radical

and thus protection against apoptosis.