Role of thromboxane A2 in mitogenesis of vascular smooth muscle cells.

Thromboxane A2, a product of activated platelets, is a potent vasoconstrictor and promoter of vascular smooth muscle cell growth. Therefore, thromboxane has the potential to contribute to processes, such as restenosis following coronary angioplasty, characterized by both platelet activation and abnormal vascular smooth muscle growth. This article reviews the effects of thromboxane on growth of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, discusses the mechanisms by which thromboxane transduces its growth promoting effects in tissue culture with an emphasis on the role of endogenously produced basic fibroblast growth factor, and reviews clinical studies of thromboxane synthesis inhibitors and/or receptor blockers in angioplasty restenosis.