Effect of PDGF-BB, FCS, and EGF on cell number. VSMCs in 24-well plates were precultured in serum-free medium in the presence and absence of EGCG for 24 h. Then the medium was replaced with serum-free medium without EGCG, and VSMCs were stimulated with 50 ng/ml PDGF-BB, 5% FCS, and 50 ng/ml EGF. After 24 h cells were trypsinized, and cell counts were determined with the cell counter system CASY-1 (Schärfe System). (A) Effect of different concentrations of EGCG on the PDGF-BB–induced increase of cell number (mean ± SD, n = 3; *p < 0.05 for EGCG-treated vs. untreated [control] VSMCs, **p < 0.05 for EGCG+PDGF-BB versus PDGF-BB effect). (B) Percentage increase of cell number after stimulation of the 50 μM EGCG-treated VSMCs with PDGF-BB, FCS, and EGF (mean ± SD; *p < 0.05 for EGCG+PDGF-BB vs. PDGF-BB, **p < 0.05 for FCS+EGCG vs. FCS effect, ***p < 0.05 for EGF+EGCG vs. EGF effect).