AIM: To investigate the effect of fluvastatin on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells derived from spontaneously hypertensive rats. METHODS: The aorta smooth muscle cells(ASMCs) of spontaneously hypertensive rats were cultured, and proliferation of cells were detected by measuring cell number and -thymidine(-TdR) incorporation after incubation with Ang Ⅱ, PDGF, fluvastatin and mevalonate acid. RESULTS: (1) The increased cell number and -TdR incorporation stimulated with AngII(10 -6 mol/L) and PDGF(10 ?g/L) were significantly inhibited by fluvastatin in a concentration-dependent manner (10 -5 -10 -7 mol/L); (2) The inhibitory effect of fluvastatin was almost completely reversed by mevalonate acid(10 -3 mol/L). CONCLUSION: The proliferation of ASMCs induced by Ang Ⅱ and PDGF was inhibited by fluvastatin, suggesting that mevalonate acid pathway may play an important role in the proliferation of ASMCs.