To test the protective effect of herbal medicine on myocardial damage against oxygen free radical-induced myocardiotoxicity, cytotoxicity was examined using MTT, Beating rate and DNA synthesis assay in the presence of water extract of three kinds of Radix Rehmanniae. Myocardial toxicity was evaluated in neonatal rat myocardiocytes in cultures. The results of these experiments were obtained as follows : Xanthine oxydase/hypoxanthine resulted in a decrease in viability, beating rate and DNA synthesis in cultured myocardial cells. Radix Rehmanniae Recens(生地黃, RRR) water extract shows effects of protection from the cardiocyte toxicity induced by xanthine oxydase/hypoxanthine treatment such as increases in beating rate. Radix Rehmanniae Preparat(熟地黃, RRP) water extract shows effects of protection from the cardiocyte toxicity induced by xanthine oxydase/hypoxanthine treatment such as increases in DNA synthesis. These results show that xanthine oxydase/hypoxanthine elicits toxic effects in cultured myocardial cells derived from neonatal rat, and suggest that water extract of three kinds of Radix Rehmanniae is very effective in the prevention of xanthine oxydase/hypoxanthine-induced cardiotoxicity.