The release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), prostacyclin (PGI2), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) was measured from endothelial cells (EC) cultured from either bovine vena cava (BVCEC) or bovine aorta (BAEC). EDRF release was determined by using the superfusion bioassay technique, whereas ET-1 and PGI2 were measured by specific radioimmunoassays. Bradykinin (BK) (0.05-30 pmol) given through columns of venous or arterial EC induced a dose-dependent release of EDRF. BK (0.05 pmol) evoked a release of EDRF from venous EC that was similar to the effect of a dose of 1 pmol from arterial EC. As with BAEC, infusions of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (30 microM) caused an inhibition of EDRF release from BVCEC that was partially reversed by coinfusions of L-arginine (L-Arg; 100 microM). BK also induced a dose-dependent release of PGI2 from BVCEC. BVCEC and BAEC produced PGI2 in equivalent amounts when arachidonic acid (9.2 and 32 pmol) was added to the Krebs' solution perfusing the cells. BVCEC and BAEC released detectable amounts of ET-1 (0.4 +/- 0.1 and 0.9 +/- 0.3 ng/mL, respectively), over a 4-h period, and the release of ET-1 was increased approximately twofold by coincubations with thrombin (0.05-1 U/mL). These findings demonstrate that venous EC have a similar capacity to arterial EC to release vasoactive factors, thus supporting the hypothesis that veins have a functional endothelium that may modulate venous tone and platelet function.