OBJECTIVE To establish a method for primary cultured and iden-tified Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats cerebral cortical astrocytes. METHODS Cerebral co-rtex of SD neonatal rats within 24 h was taken with stereo microscope and was cut topieces(1 mm~3),digested by Accutase and 0.1% DNAase(37℃,15 min),anddispersed cell suspension was made by mechanical method and filtered. The fibroblast cells and microglia were removed through differential adhesion and sha-ke. Passaged cells were identified by immunofluorescent with anti-Glial fibrillaryacidic protein(GFAP) antibody. RESULTS The astrocytes of rats cerebral cortex were cultured in this method,which had a large number of cells,good activity,high purity,abundant and elongated cell processes,and were interwoven into a network,showing a typical and good growth state. The third generation of the cel s comprised >95% astrocytes. CONCLUSION This simple and reliable cultivation method of astrocyte from rat cerebral tissue is established with high purity,and in a good growth condition. OBJECTIVE To establish a method for primary cultured and iden-tified Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats cerebral cortical astrocytes. METHODS Cerebral co-rtex of SD neonatal rats within 24 h was taken with stereo microscope and was cut topieces (1 mm ~ 3) , digested by Accutase and 0.1% DNAase (37 ° C, 15 min), and dried cells were incubated by mechanical method and filtered. The fibroblast cells and microglia were removed through differential adhesion and sha-ke. Passaged cells were identified by immunofluorescent with anti RESULTS The astrocytes of rats cerebral cortex were cultured in this method, which had a large number of cells, good activity, high purity, abundant and elongated cell processes, and were interwoven into a network, showing a typical and good growth state. The third generation of the cel s composed> 95% astrocytes. CONCLUSION This simple and reliable cultivation method of astrocyte from rat cerebral tissue is established with high purity , and in a good growth condition.