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To investigate the hypothesis that pulmonary vascular tone and endothelium-dependent pulmonary vasodilation are mediated by changes in the vascular smooth muscle cell concentration of cGMP, we studied the hemodynamic effects of M&B 22948, a selective guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) phosphodiesterase inhibitor, in eight intact newborn lambs. At rest, M&B 22948 (1.0-2.5 mg/kg) selectively decreased pulmonary arterial pressure (by 8.5 +/- 6.6 to 10.3 +/- 4.5%, P < 0.05). Similarly, M&B 22948 (0.5-5.0 mg/kg) produced selective dose-dependent decreases in pulmonary arterial pressure during pulmonary hypertension induced either by U46619 (by 7.7 +/- 4.2 to 44.2 +/- 4.4%, P < 0.05) or by alveolar hypoxia (by 9.5 +/- 6.2 to 29.0 +/- 11.0%, P < 0.05). In addition, M&B 22948 augmented the pulmonary vasodilating effects of acetylcholine and ATP (both endothelium- and cGMP-dependent vasodilators) but not isoproterenol (an endothelium-independent and cAMP-dependent vasodilator). Because M&B 22948 inhibits the breakdown of cGMP, this study supports the in vitro data that changes in the vascular smooth muscle cell concentration of cGMP, in part, may regulate pulmonary vascular tone and mediate endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses in the pulmonary circulation. In addition, N omega-nitro-L-arginine (an inhibitor of endothelium-derived relaxing factor synthesis) blocked the vasodilating effects of M&B 22948, suggesting that the majority of endogenous cGMP is generated by the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor.