['To investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the migration of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) and whether β-catenin is involved in its underlying mechanism.', 'CSCs were isolated from neonatal Sprague-Dawley rat hearts. Migration was detected using 24-well transwell system in vitro cultured CSCs and using carboxyfluorescein diacetate (CFDA)-labelled method in myocardial infarction rat model. The expression of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), β-catenin, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) was analyzed using western blotting.', 'Exposure of CSCs to higher LPS (1μg/mL) for 24h inhibited the cell migration. However, LPS (0.01, 0.1μg/mL) significantly increased the number of migrated CSCs, which reached a peak at 0.01μg/mL. LPS (0.01μg/mL) pretreatment promoted the migration of CFDA-labeled CSCs into the risk area in ischemia-reperfusion rat heart. And injection of LPS-pretreated CSCs also caused a significant decrease in infarct size when compared with LPS-untreated CSCs group. Lower dose of LPS did not influence the expression of TLR4 and total β-catenin protein. However, it enhanced the levels of active β-catenin, nuclear β-catenin, and HSP90 protein. Compared with LPS group, after preincubated with HSP90 inhibitor 17-AAG, the LPS-induced enhancement of active β-catenin protein and nuclear β-catenin protein was abolished. In addition, 17-AAG also prevented the lower dose of LPS-induced cell migration.'] Does lipopolysaccharide pretreatment promote cardiac stem cell migration through heat shock protein 90-dependent β-catenin activation?