Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture on hemodynamics in chronic myocardial ischemia rats during induction of anesthesia. Methods Forty five Sprague-Dawley rats, weight 200-250 g, were divided into three groups according to a random number table (n=15): a normal control group (group NC), a chronic myocardial ischemia group (group HR) and an acupuncture group (group A-HR). After acupuncture intervention of myocardial ischemia modeled animals for four weeks, the rats received induction of anesthesia with 0.1% propofol at 9 mg/kg via the jugular vein. Subsequently, the mean arterial pressure (MBP), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), the maximal rate of rise/decline of left ventricula pressure (±dp/dt), heart rate, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and the morphological changes of myocardial tissues were measured. Results Compared with those in group NC, LVSP, ±dp/dt and MBP remarkably declined in group HR (P<0.05), while LVEDP and heart rate significantly increased in group HR (P<0.05). Compared with group HR, group A-HR presented significantly increased LVSP, +dp/dt and MBP (P<0.05) and significantly decreased heart rate (P<0.05). Compared with group HR, group A-HR produced remarkable decreases in MDA and CK-MB (P<0.05) and marked increases in SOD (P< 0.05). Conclusions Acupuncture pretreatment of rats with myocardial ischemia can regulate and control hemodynamic stabilities during induction of anesthesia, which may be done through inhibiting lipid peroxidation to improves cardiac micro-circulation and reducing the injury of cardiac muscles. Key words: Acupuncture; Myocardial ischemia; Propofol; Anesthesia induction; Hemodynamics