[Nitrogen oxide is not an agent of endothelium-mediated arterial dilatation to an increase in the blood flow rate].

I. v. administration of inhibitors of endothelium-mediated synthesis of the oxide of nitrogen raised the arterial blood pressure, constricted the femoral artery and decreased the acetylcholine- and ATP-induced vaso-dilatation in anesthetized cats. However, the dilatation induced by an increased blood flow velocity, was not affected. The data obtained suggest that the endothelium-dependent arterial dilatation is not mediated by oxide of nitrogen formed from L-arginine.