Objective: To observe the effects of ginaton and nitroglycerin injection on expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and cardioprotective mechanism in rabbits with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Methods : Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into four groups, 5 rabbits being in each group. The model was not replicated in the sham-operated group. Myocardial I/R models were replicated in animals in normal saline, ginatone and nitroglycerin injection groups and were administered with normal saline, ginatone and nitroglycerin injection respectively 0.5 hour before ischemia. Western blot was used to measure HSP70 of ischemia and non-ischemia myocardium and the expression of HSP70 was analyzed semiquantitatively . Serum nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and total superoxide dismutase (TCD*2SOD) , creatine kinase (CK) activity were measured. Results: HSP70 was less expressed in sham-operated group and more expressed in normal saline group, ginaton group and nitroglycerin injection group. Expression of HSP70 of ischemia and non-ischemia myocardium in normal saline group was 2.5CD*2 and 2.1CD*2fold, in ginaton group 17.6CD*2 and 20.7CD*2fold and in nitroglycerin group 28.1CD*2 and 29.1CD*2fold to that in the shamCD*2operated group, respectively. The activity of TCD*2SOD was lower while MDA and CK levels were higher in the normal saline group than those in the sham-operated group (all P