AIM: To study the effect of glutamate on the intracellular calcium signal of pure cultured rat astrocytes and the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors in the procedure. METHODS: The fluorescence of calcium was measured by Fura-2/AM (F345/F380).RESULTS: L-Glutamate induced [Ca2+]i increase in most of the cells in concentration- and time-dependent manner.NMDA 50 mmol/L induced the fluorescence increase by almost three to four times, while the effect of AMPA 50mmol/L was just half of that of D-(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (D-AP-5; a selective antagonist of the NMDA receptor). 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX, a selective antagonist of the AMPA receptor)abolished the effects of NMDA and AMPA, respectively. D-AP-5 and CNQX simultaneously or respectively attenuated the effect of L-glutamate at different degrees, but could not abolish it entirely. CONCLUSION: Glutamate modulated intracellular Ca2+ of pure cultured rat astrocytes through different pathways. The activation of NMDA and AMPA receptors took part in the complex mechanisms.