Objective:To compare the phenotype characteristics of rat annulus fibrosus (AF) cells cultured on flexible silicone membranes and those in plastic plates. Methods :The morphology of AF cells cultured in different substrates was examined. Proteoglycan was stained by toluidine blue. Contents of collagen type I , collagen type Ⅱ and aggrecan mRNAs were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of integrin β1 was monitored by flow cytometry. By using propidium iodide (PI), the cell cycle in AF cells was analyzed. Cell adhesion to silicone membrane was also measured. Results:The AF cells cultured on different substrates were morphologically undistinguishable.Toluidine blue staining showed that there was also no difference between AF cells cultured on these 2 substrates. They still had the same expression levels of collagen type Ⅰ , collagen type Ⅱ , aggrecan mRNAs,and integrin β1. No significant difference was observed in the distribution of the cell cycle. AF cells grew well on silicone membrane. Conclusion:AF cells cultured on flexible silicone membrane maintain the stability of phenotype and may be appropriate for further studying the metabolic responses to mechanical stimuli at the cellular level.