Long-term nitroglycerin (NTG) treatment has been shown to be associated with cross-tolerance to endothelium-dependent vasodilators. It may involve increased production of reactive oxygen species (such as superoxide, O2·−) that rapidly inactivate the nitric oxide (NO) released from the endothelial cells. It remains to be elucidated, however, whether long-term treatment with NTG alters the activity and expression of the endothelial NO synthase (NOS III) and whether this enzyme can contribute to O2·−formation. We studied the influence of long-term NTG treatment on the expression of NOS III as assessed by RNase protection assay and Western blot. Tolerance was measured ex vivo in organ chamber experiments with rat aortic rings. O2·−and NO formation were quantified using lucigenin- andCypridinaluciferin analog–enhanced chemiluminescence as well as electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Treatment of Wistar rats with NTG (Alzet osmotic minipumps, NTG concentration 10 &mgr;g · kg−1· min−1) for 3 days caused marked tolerance, cross-tolerance to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine, and a significant increase in O2·−-induced chemiluminescence. Tolerance was associated with a significant increase in NOS III mRNA to 236±28% and NOS III protein to 239±17%. In control vessels, the NOS inhibitorNG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) increased the O2·−-mediated chemiluminescence, indicating that basal production of endothelium-derived NO depresses the baseline chemiluminescence signal. In the setting of tolerance, however, L-NNA decreased steady-state O2·−levels, indicating the involvement of NOS III in O2·−formation. Likewise, A23187-induced, NOS III–mediated O2·−production was more pronounced in tolerant than in control vessels. Vascular NO bioavailability as assessed with ESR spectroscopy using iron-thiocarbamate as a trap for NO was significantly reduced in tolerant vessels. Pretreatment of tolerant tissue in vitro with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors reduced basal and stimulated NOS III–mediated O2·−production and partially reversed vascular tolerance. These findings suggest that NTG treatment increases the expression of a dysfunctional NOS III gene, leading to increased formation of O2·−and decreased vascular NO bioavailability. Normalization of NOS III–mediated O2·−production and improvement of tolerance with PKC inhibition suggests an important role for PKC isoforms in mediating vascular dysfunction caused by long-term NTG treatment. The full text of this article is available at http://www.circresaha.org.