Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) is one of the major pathologic features in atherosclerosis. The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) pathway has been shown to provide survival signals in VSMCs and PDGF receptors are also highly expressed in VSMCs contained in the plaques of atherosclerosis. However, the downstream targets of PDGF signaling are unclear. In the current study, we show that PDGF signals stimulate the protein expression of c-Myb in human arterial VSMCs. Inhibition of c-Myb function in VSMCs enhanced apoptosis in PDGF treated VSMCs. Our data suggest that c-Myb functions as a downstream target of the PDGF survival pathway and suggest that c-Myb plays an essential role in adult VSMC survival. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.