Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) on the pulsatile frequency and the expression of proteins related to iron releas in primary cultured rat cardiac myocytes. Methods Newborn rat cardiac myocytes were isolated and cultured with the medium containing FAC. The cells were divided into control group, 20mg/L FAC group, 40mg/L FAC group and 80mg/L FAC group. Every group had 6 repeats. The cells’ livability, beat rhythmically and beat amplitude of cardiac myocytes were detected. The expressions of ceruloplasmin (CP), hephaestin(HP) and ferroportion 1(FP1) were also examined by immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with control, FAC had no clearly influence on cells’ livability, but it could decrease cells’ beat rhythmically and beat amplitude. CP, HP and FP1 expression increased after the incubation of FAC. Conclusion FAC has no influence on cardiac myocytes’ livability, but it could affect the cells’ living state. IRP-IRE may be involved in the regulation of FP1 expression, the expression

Key words: Ferric ammonium citrate, Cardiac myocytes, Ceruloplasmin, Hephaestin, Ferroportin1, Immunohistochemistry, Rat