Abstract-The role of transforming growth factor (TGF)- and its signal in atherogenesis is not fully understood. Here, we examined mice lacking Smad3, a major downstream mediator of TGF-, to clarify the precise role of Smad3-dependent signaling in vascular response to injury. Femoral arteries were injured in wild-type and Smad3-null (null) male mice on C57Bl/6 background. Histopathological evaluation of the arteries 1 to 3 weeks after the injury revealed significant enhancement of neointimal hyperplasia in null compared with wild-type mice. Transplantation of null bone marrow to wild-type mice did not enhance neointimal thickening, suggesting that vascular cells in situ play a major role in the response. Null intima contained more proliferating smooth muscle cells (SMC) with less amount of collagen compared with wild-type intima. TGF- caused significant inhibition of cellular proliferation in wild-type aortic SMC, whereas the growth of null SMC was only weakly inhibited by TGF- in vitro, indicating a crucial role of Smad3 in the growth inhibitory function. On the other hand, Smad3-deficiency did not attenuate chemotaxis of SMC toward TGF-. TGF- increased transcript level of ␣2 type I collagen and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1, and suppressed expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases in wild-type SMC. However, these effects of TGF- were diminished in null SMC. Our findings altogether show that the loss of Smad3 pathway causes enhanced neointimal hyperplasia on injury through modulation of growth and matrix regulation in vascular SMC. These results indicate a vasculoprotective role of endogenous Smad3 in response to injury. Key Words: transforming growth factor- Ⅲ Smad3 Ⅲ atherosclerosis Ⅲ neointimal hyperplasia Ⅲ smooth muscle cells T ransforming growth factor (TGF)- is a prototypic member of the TGF- superfamily that exerts a wide range of biological effects on various cell types. 1 Well described functions of TGF- including growth inhibition, cell migration, differentiation, extracellular matrix production, and immunomodulation. Abnormality in TGF- signaling may cause pathological conditions such as tumorigenesis, fibrotic disorders, and vascular diseases. 2 At present, however, the role of TGF- and its signaling molecules in atherogenesis is not fully understood.TGF- is often regarded to have proatherosclerotic effect on arteries. For example, TGF- expression is increased in human restenotic lesions as well as in neointimal hyperplasia after balloon injury in animals. 3 TGF- facilitates extracellular matrix deposition by stimulating production of procollagen and fibronectin, downregulating the expression of proteases, and upregulating protease inhibitors, such as plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (PAI-I) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). 4 -8 TGF- transgene into vascular wall causes fibroproliferative intimal thickening in animal models in the presence or absence of vascular injury. 9,10 Moreover, TGF- antagonism by antibody, soluble receptor, or ...