We studied the effect of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) on norepinephrine-induced contractile responses and on the tissue guanosine-3',5'-phosphate (cGMP) concentration of isolated rabbit arteries with an increasing endothelium to smooth muscle cell ratio (aorta, femoral and mesenteric arteries). After suppression of EDRF formation (either by Na-nitro-L-arginine or, in mesenteric arteries, by saponin), contractions elicited by cumulative doses of norepinephrine were unaltered in aorta but were enhanced by 22.5 % in femoral arteries and by 44.3 % in mesenteric arteries (at the highest norepinephrine concentration). The cGMP concentration (pmol/mg protein) of unstimulated, endotheliumintact vessels decreased after suppression of EDRF formation from 1.09 +_ 0.24 to 0.74 ___ 0.28 in aortic, from 2.86 _+ 0.4 to 0.61 _+ 0.19 in femoral and from 6.3 +-0.9 to 0.7 +-0.15 in mesenteric arterial segments. The basal cGMP concentration did not differ in endothelium-denuded segments of these arteries, suggesting a similar basal activity of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). A higher sensitivity of sGC may have contributed to the higher cGMP concentration observed in the smaller arteries, since in the presence of sodium nitroprusside the cGMP concentration of endothelium-denuded segments increased 1.8-fold in aortic, 2.9-fold in femoral and 2.4fold in mesenteric arterial segments. However, these differences in sGC activation cannot be solely responsible for the high basal cGMP concentration in endotheliumintact mesenteric arteries. The greater ratio of endothelium to smooth muscle cell layers in the smaller arteries might result in a higher EDRF concentration in the vascular wall and subsequently in a higher cGMP concentration. In conclusion, these data support the view of a greater importance of EDRF-mediated vascular control in small arteries than in large conduit arteries.