RESUMO
AIM: To study the effect of platelet-activating factor(PAF) on proliferation of cultured rat airway smooth muscle cells(ASMCs).METHODS: The cells were divided into control group and PAF group. The cells in PAF group were subdivided into four small groups by concentrations of PAF 10 -6 , 10 -7 , 10 -8 , 10 -9 mol?L -1 , MTT assay was used not only to investigate the effects of PAF on proliferation of ASMC but also to confirm the optimal concentration. Flow cytometry and immuneohistochemistry for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were also used to analyse its function on proliferation of ASMC.RESULTS: PAF (10 -6 -10 -9 mol?L -1 ) stimulated the cell proliferation and 10 -7 mol?L -1 PAF reached the maximal effect. The cell percentage of the ASMCs of 107 mol?L -1 PAF subgroup at G_ 0/1 phase (68.67%) was much lower than that of control group (85.57%, P