The response to small peptides such as Arg-vasopressin, oxytocin and tachykinins was investigated in cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells. The production of endothelium-derived nitric oxide was assessed indirectly by the accumulation of cyclic GMP, a response that is due to the increased activity of soluble guanylate cyclase of the endothelial cells after release of the mediator. Arg-vasopressin, oxytocin, substance P and physalae-min (an analog of substance P, pGlu-Ala-Asp-Pro-Asn-Lys-Phe-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2) markedly and transiently stimulated the production of cyclic GMP without affecting that of cyclic AMP. Treatment of endothelial cells with either hemoglobin or methylene blue reduced significantly both the basal and stimulated level of cyclic GMP. The production of cyclic GMP evoked by Arg-vasopressin and substance P was inhibited selectively by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine but not by its D-enantiomer. The neurohypophyseal hormones and related peptides stimulated the accumulation of cyclic GMP in a concentration-dependent manner, with the following relative order of potency: oxytocin greater than Lys-vasopressin greater than Arg-vasopressin much greater than [deamino-Cys1, D-Arg8]-vasopressin. The production of cyclic GMP evoked by oxytocin was inhibited selectively by [d(CH2)5, Tyr(OMe)2, Orn8]-vasotocin, an oxytocin antagonist. The production of cyclic GMP evoked by Arg-vasopressin and Lys-vasopressin was inhibited by [beta-mercapto-beta, beta-cyclopentamethylene-propionyl1, O-Me-Tyr2, Arg8]-vasopressin, a selective V1-receptor antagonist. The moderate production of cyclic GMP evoked by [deamino-Cys1, D-Arg8]-vasopressin was inhibited significantly by the V1-receptor antagonist. The peptide antagonists affected only minimally or not at all the production of cyclic GMP evoked by a donor of nitric oxide, SIN-1 (3-Morpholino-Sydnonimine). These observations indicate that 1) neurohypophyseal hormones and tachykinins stimulate the accumulation of cyclic GMP in cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells by increasing the production of endothelial-derived nitric oxide, which in turn enhances the activity of soluble guanylate cyclase; 2) the production of cyclic GMP in response to oxytocin is due to activation of oxytocinergic receptors; and 3) the production of cyclic GMP evoked by Arg-vasopressin and Lys-vasopressin is due mostly to activation of V1-vasopressinergic receptors.