Several lines of evidence indicate that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a potent mediator of vasodilation. To elucidate the mechanism and site of action of IGF-I, we performed continuous monitoring of nitric oxide (NO) release from endothelial cells using a highly-sensitive amperometric NO-sensor. Two types of cultured cells were used: human umbilical vein endothelial cells and immortalized rat renal interlobar artery endothelial cells. In separate experiments, [Ca2+]i changes in response to IGF-I were measured spectrofluorometrically in fura-2-loaded cells. Stimulation with IGF-I resulted in a rapid, dose-dependent increase in [NO] as detected by the NO-probe positioned 1 mm above the monolayers, followed by a sustained elevation lasting for at least five minutes. The effect of IGF-I was significantly suppressed by pretreatment with anti-IGF-I antibody, suggesting that it was specific for IGF-I. NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, an inhibitor of NO synthesis, significantly blunted responses to IGF-I, but dexamethasone preincubation did not reduce the IGF-I-induced release of NO. These results indicate that the observed IGF-I-induced release of NO is a result of activation of the constitutive, rather than the inducible type of NO synthase in endothelial cells. Genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, resulted in a profound suppression of the IGF-I-induced release of NO. IGF-I did not affect [Ca2+]i in either type of cells. Therefore, IGF-I-induced NO production by both types of endothelial cells is mediated via a tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)