The conditioned medium (CM) from microvascular and macrovascular endothelial cell (EC) cultures was tested for constrictor activity. Sheep coronary artery rings, under 1 g tension, and sheep tracheal smooth muscle strips, under 2 g tension, were hung in organ baths containing Krebs-Henseleit solution (39 degrees C) and were equilibrated with 95% O2 and 5% CO2. Isometric force was measured in response to 80 mM KCl and constrictor responses to 100% CM were expressed as a percentage of maximum KCl response. Serum-free CM from confluent microvascular endothelial cells caused a sustained, slow-onset contraction of the coronary rings similar to that obtained with CM from macrovascular ECs. Indomethacin (5 microM) added to either the microvascular or macrovascular CM enhanced the constrictor responses by 1.6- and 1.8-fold, respectively, and the constrictor effects of both media were reduced by the calcium antagonist gallopamil (10 nM). CM from macrovascular EC caused a sustained contraction of tracheal strips similar to microvascular CM. In both cases, constriction was preceded by a brief relaxation as noted in vascular smooth muscle. Unconditioned medium had no constrictor activity on either vascular or airway smooth muscle. Microvascular-derived constrictor activity was heat stable. There was a slight loss of activity in the heat-treated CM from the macrovascular cells compared with control CM. Constrictor effects on tracheal smooth muscle were partially reversed by 1 microM gallopamil.