| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are more effective in reducing carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) than other classes of antihypertensive drugs due to their vascular effects. However, the mechanism remains to be elucidated.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Ox-LDL induced HUVSMCs proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. When pretreated with three CCBs before 50 μg/ml ox-LDL stimulation, 30 μM lacidipine and 3 μM amlodipine exhibited 27% and 18% decrease of pro-proliferative effect induced by ox-LDL, whereas (<it>S</it>-)-amlodipine did not have any anti-proliferative effect. 30 μM lacidipine inhibited about two-thirds of the ox-LDL induced ROS production in HUVSMCs, whereas amlodipine and (<it>S</it>-)-amlodipine did not have influence on ROS production. The MAPKs pathway inhibitors inhibited the ox-LDL induced proliferation of HUVSMCs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study has demonstrated that lipophilic CCBs, such as lacidipine may inhibit ox-LDL induced proliferation and oxidative stress of VSMCs, and that the ROS-MAPKs pathway might be involved in the mechanism.</p>
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