Objective:To introduce a modified isolation method for acquiring rat atrial myocytes.Methods:The heart of adult sprague-dawley(SD) rat was rapidly excised after successful anesthesia and mounted on a Langendorff apparatus.It was perfused retrogradely via the aorta for five minutes with Ca2+-free Tyrode’s solution and then perfused with collagenase dissolved in Tyrode’s solution for ten to twelve minutes

and then the atrial appendage was sheared and stored in a kraftbruhe(KB) solution.Thereafter tissue was minced and filtrated.After being centrifuged at 500 r for 2 min

the isolated myocytes were performed gradient calcium reintroduction and allowed to pellet via gravity for 1 hour in refrigerator

then the transient outward potassium current

sodium current and L-tpye calium current were recorded by the use of patch clamp whole cell recording technique.Results:The survival rate of atrial myocytes was high and the morphous and construction of atrial myocytes were fine and the property of calcium-tolerance was good.The transient outward potassium current

sodium current and L-tpye calium current were recorded successfully.Conclusion:The modified isolation method can produce large numbers of single calcium-tolerance myocardial cells and normal electrophysiological properties.