1 The role of cyclic nucleotides and protein kinase C in controlling proliferation of pig aortic endothelial cells (PAEC) in culture was investigated. 2 Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (30 microM), added twice daily, inhibited proliferation but 8 bromo cyclic GMP (30 microM) had no effect. Two other stimuli known to increase PAEC cyclic GMP content by stimulating particulate and soluble guanylate cyclase respectively, atriopeptin II (10 nM) and sodium nitroprusside (1 microM), were also without effect on proliferation. 3 Two agents known to inhibit soluble guanylate cyclase and lower intercellular cyclic GMP content, haemoglobin (10 microM) and methylene blue (10 microM), each inhibited proliferation of PAEC. 4 The inhibitory effect of haemoglobin (10 microM) was mediated by inhibition of soluble guanylate cyclase since it was reversed by agents known to increase cyclic GMP content, i.e. atriopeptin II (10 nM), 8 bromo cyclic GMP (30 microM) or sodium nitroprusside (1 microM). The inhibitory effect of methylene blue (10 microM) was not reversed by these agents. 5 Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 0.1 nM-1 microM), which activates protein kinase C, inhibited proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. No early stimulation of proliferation was seen with PMA. The inactive isomer, 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (0.3 microM), lacked the ability of PMA to inhibit proliferation of PAEC. 6. PMA-induced inhibition of proliferation appeared not to be due to stimulated production of destructive oxygen-derived free radicals since it was unaffected by the radical scavengers, vitamin E (30 microM) or butylated hydroxytoluene (30 microM). The antiproliferative actions of paraquat (10 microM), an agent which generates free radicals intracellularly, was, in contrast, inhibited by vitamin E or butylated hydroxytoluene. Furthermore, neither dibutyryl cyclic AMP (30 microM) nor 8 bromo cyclic GMP (30 microM) had any effect on the ability of PMA to inhibit proliferation. 7. This study suggests that cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP and protein kinase C play a role in controlling the proliferation of PAEC.