Abstract： Objective To observe the effect of hepatocyte growth factor on isolated rat heart preservation. Methods Forty SD mrs were randomly divided into two groups : control group (n = 20) with isolated rat heart preserved in 4 ℃ HTK solution and experimental group(n =20) with isolated rat hearts preserved in 4 ℃ HTK + rh-HGF(100 μg/L) solution. Cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining and the expression of bcl-2mRNA was examined by RT-PCR. Results Experimental group showed a lower rate of apoptosis eardiomyocytes (P < 0.01) after reperfusion. Immunohistochemieal analysis revealed that c-met receptor expression was stronger in the HGF-treated myocardium than that in the non-HGF-treated myocardium after storage and was associated with a stronger ex-pression of bcl-2 mRNA. Conclusion The administration of rh-HGF before storage improved cardiac function after prolonged myocardial preservation by preventing apoptosis and enhancing expression of bcl-2 mRNA.