The goal of this study was to determine whether endothelium-dependent responses are impaired in the cerebral microcirculation of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). We measured diameters of cerebral arterioles using intravital microscopy in normotensive rats (WKY) and SHRSP (6-8 mo old). Cerebral vasodilator responses to superfusion with adenosine, which is an endothelium-independent agonist, were similar in WKY and SHRSP. In contrast, cerebral vasodilator responses to superfusion with endothelium-dependent agonists were profoundly impaired in SHRSP. Acetylcholine (10(-4) M) increased pial arteriolar diameter 23 +/- 2% (means +/- SE) in WKY and did not change arteriolar diameter in SHRSP (-2 +/- 3%, P less than 0.05 vs. WKY). Serotonin (10(-5) M) increased pial arteriolar diameter 23 +/- 1% in WKY and, in contrast, reduced diameter 11 +/- 1% in SHRSP (P less than 0.05 vs. WKY). Nitroglycerin and acetylcholine produce vasodilatation by activation of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). Nitroglycerin was used to determine whether impaired responses of cerebral arterioles in SHRSP were related to altered cGMP activity. We found similar dilatation of cerebral arterioles in WKY and SHRSP in response to nitroglycerin. Thus impaired endothelium-dependent dilatation in SHRSP is not related to alteration of cGMP activity. We speculate that impairment of cerebral vasodilator responses to endothelium-dependent agonists, including vasoactive substances released by platelets, may predispose SHRSP to cerebral ischemia.