Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is postulated to be one of the key events in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis. We investigated whether YD-3, a lowmolecular weight, non-peptide compound, could modulate proliferation of VSMCs in vitro and restenosis after balloon angioplasty in vivo. We examined the effect of YD-3 on thrombininduced VSMC proliferation by [(3)H]thymidine incorporation assay. The data demonstrated that YD-3 inhibited VSMC proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. To define the mechanisms of YD-3 action, we found that YD-3 showed a profound inhibition on thrombin-induced Ras and ERK1/2 activities by using Western blotting analysis. Furthermore, oral administration of YD-3 exhibited a marked reduction in neointimal thickness using the carotid injury model in rats. Using immunochemical detection, our experiments also revealed that YD-3 significantly suppressed expression of the PAR-1 receptor, and markedly inhibited PAR-1-activating peptide (SFLLRN)-induced VSMC proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that YD-3 inhibits thrombin-induced VSMC growth via the Ras- and ERK1/2-mediated signaling pathway. Moreover, YD-3 also shows a developmental potential in the treatment of atherosclerosis and restenosis after vascular injury.