Aim To explore the effect of Rosiglitazone on aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration in rat. Methods Smooth muscle cells were cultured from rat aorta using explant technique and identified with α-actin in cytoplasm by immunocytochemistry. The fifth passage cells were made synchronized by serum starvation. Then the cells were induced to proliferate and migrate with platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (20 μg/L) in the presence or absence of Rosiglitazone(1,5,10 μmol/L) pretreated before. The proliferating cell nuclearantigen (PCNA) expression in nuclear was examined by immunocytochemistry. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed using flow cytometry. Cell migration was measured with Boyden-Chamber. Results PCNA expression in nucleus of smooth muscle cells,cell cycle transition from G0/G1 phase to S phase and cell migration induced by PDGF-BB or bFGF were significantly inhibited by Rosiglitazone in a dose-dependent manner( P<0.0001). Conclusion Rosiglitazone has inhibitory influence on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration induced by PDGF-BB or bFGF.