Endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by sodium fluoride in the rabbit ear artery

Sodium fluoride (NaF) produced concentration-dependent relaxation of isolated rabbit ear artery precontracted with norepinephrine. In contrast, an arterial preparation with the endothelium rubbed off did not relax, but contracted in response to NaF. NaF-induced relaxation was not influenced by indomethacin but was inhibited by methylene blue or NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. The results indicate that NaF relaxes the artery by releasing a so-called EDRF.