Vasopressin is a potent renal vasoconstrictor in vitro which elicits relatively minor renal vascular effects in vivo. Efficient modulation might occur through shear stress-elicited release of vasodilator compounds from endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro, in the isolated perfused kidney, the influence of shear stress and related nitric oxide (NO) release on basal renal vascular tone and on vasopressin-induced renal vasoconstriction. Rat kidneys were perfused at a constant flow rate of 8 ml/min with Tyrode's solution (relative viscosity eta=1) or, in order to increase shear stress, with Tyrode's solution supplemented with 4.7% Ficoll 400 (Ficoll 400; eta=2.3), which is representative of the relative viscosity found in small vessels. Renal shear stress was further elevated during vasoconstriction elicited by vasopressin. Basal renal true vascular conductance, which reflects mean blood vessel radius, was 2.5-fold higher and overall wall shear stress doubled in Ficoll 400 - as compared to Tyrode-perfused kidneys. The decrease in vascular conductance elicited by NO synthase inhibition with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) increased with the viscosity of the perfusate. Shear stress was elevated during vasopressin-induced renal vasoconstriction, all the more kidneys were Ficoll 400-perfused. In these kidneys, the concentration-response curve to vasopressin was shifted to the right, giving evidence of hyporeactivity to the peptide. L-NNA potentiated vasoconstriction to vasopressin particularly in Ficoll 400-perfused kidneys, although additional inhibition of cyclooxygenase and/or cytochrome P(450) was without effect. These results provide in vitro evidence that shear stress enhanced by perfusate viscosity increases basal renal vascular conductance by an NO-dependent mechanism. Together with shear stress enhanced during vasoconstriction, it blunts vasopressin-induced renal vasoconstriction.