Chronic hypoxia produces pulmonary hypertension, in part because of hypertrophy and hyperplasia of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PA SMC). Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) have been shown to stimulate SMC proliferation and may be involved in these vascular changes. Both factors cause a rise in intracellular pH (pHi) in systemic vascular SMC through stimulation of the Na+/H+ exchanger, an event that has been thought to be permissive, allowing cell proliferation in response to the growth factor. The present studies examined the possibility that the activation of Na+/H+ exchange is involved in the PA SMC mitogenic response to these growth factors. Na+/H+ exchange activity was assessed by monitoring pHi in cultured cells using the pH-sensitive dye, 2'7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). PDGF (60 ng/ml) exposure led to a marked activation of Na+/H+ exchange, evidenced by a rise in pHi (mean +/- SEM) of 0.20 +/- 0.03 pH units (n = 5, P < 0.05). EGF (60 ng/ml) exposure produced a rise in pHi of 0.27 +/- 0.03 pH units (n = 5, P < 0.05). Dimethyl amiloride (DMA, 50 microM), a competitive inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchange, blocked the pH response to PDGF and EGF. PA SMC showed a proliferative response when exposed to PDGF and EGF which was attenuated by 50 microM DMA (n = 6). Thus, activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger may be important in pulmonary cell signaling in response to growth factors as it has been found to be in systemic vessels.