Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) AB and BB isoforms were potent mitogens for cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). PDGF-AA promotes protein synthesis in a dose-dependent manner in SHR cells, whereas DNA synthesis was stimulated only slightly. However, this isoform did not activate either DNA or protein synthesis in WKY cells. PDGF-AA stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of its receptor protein and phospholipase C-gamma 1 in SHR cell but not in WKY cells. These results indicate that vascular smooth muscle cell of SHR is uniquely responsive to PDGF-AA, presumably due to abnormality in receptor expression, in its hypertrophic response.