Abstract:Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) cultured from the rat aorta at 3 and 10 days after balloon denudation. Results showed that activity of VSMC proliferation increased significantly, synthesis of DNA and protein accelerated, and cell count increased. During VSMC proliferation, calcium influx increased, calcium content elevated. 10 μmol·L~(-1) Verapamil inhibited not only the changes of calcium homeostasis, but also vascular injury induced SMC proliferation. These findings indicated that vascular injury induced VSMC proliferation. Disturbances of calcium homeostassis might be one of cellular mechanisms of vascular injury induced VSMC proliferation.