Blockade of nitric oxide reduces renal blood flow, but the site or sites at which nitric oxide alters renal vascular resistance are unknown. The effects of N omega-nitro-L-arginine (100 microM), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis, on the pressure-diameter relation of renal arterioles was studied using a rat juxtamedullary microvascular preparation perfused in vitro with a physiological salt solution containing 5% albumin. The basal diameters of the main arcuate and interlobular arteries and the proximal and distal afferent arterioles averaged 438 +/- 26, 64 +/- 4, 30 +/- 1, and 20 +/- 1 microns, respectively, at a perfusion pressure of 80 mm Hg. The diameters of the arcuate and interlobular arteries increased by 14 +/- 2% and 7 +/- 2%, whereas the proximal and distal afferent arterioles decreased by 3 +/- 1% and 7 +/- 2% when perfusion pressure was elevated to 160 mm Hg. Nitro-arginine had no effect on the basal diameters of arcuate and interlobular arteries. Nitro-arginine reduced the diameters of afferent arterioles by 7 +/- 2% at all perfusion pressures studied. Nitro-arginine increased active vascular tone in the interlobular artery and afferent arterioles and enhanced autoregulation of glomerular capillary pressure. L-Arginine (1 mM), the precursor to nitric oxide production, reversed the effects of nitro-arginine. These findings suggest that nitric oxide modulates vascular tone of the interlobular artery and afferent arterioles of deep nephrons and influences the ability of the preglomerular vasculature to autoregulate glomerular capillary pressure.