Zinc potentiates the stimulation by basic and acidic fibroblast growth factors on the proliferation of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.

We investigated the effect of zinc sulfate on the proliferation of cultured bovine aortic smooth muscle cells stimulated with or without growth factors. Zinc had no effect on the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the acid-insoluble fraction of the cells stimulated with or without platelet-derived growth factor or transforming growth factor beta 1. However, it was shown that stimulation of the [3H]thymidine incorporation by either basic or acidic fibroblast growth factor was significantly potentiated by zinc. Other cations including copper, manganese and nickel did not exhibit such an activity. The present data suggest that zinc is a particular heavy metal which potentiates vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation stimulated by basic and acidic fibroblast growth factors as well as thrombospondin. Zinc may be involved in the intimal hyperplasia of atherosclerosis.