d-alpha-Tocopherol, but not d-beta-tocopherol, negatively regulates proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells at physiological concentrations, d-alpha-Tocopherol inhibits protein kinase C (PKC) activity, whereas d-beta-tocopherol is ineffective, Furthermore d-beta-tocopherol prevents the inhibition of cell growth and of PKC activity caused by d-alpha-tocopherol, The negative regulation by d-alpha-tocopherol of PI;C activity appears to be the cause and not the effect of smooth muscle cell growth inhibition, d-alpha-Tocopherol does not act by binding to PKC directly but presumably by preventing PKC activation, It is concluded that, in vascular smooth muscle cells, d-alpha-tocopherol acts specifically through a nonantioxidant mechanism and exerts a negative control on a signal transduction path,cay regulating cell proliferation.