Inhibition of constitutive nitric oxide (NO) synthases by administration of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) during abdominal laparotomy provokes extensive vascular leakage in the rat gastrointestinal tract, assessed by the extravasation of [125I]human serum albumin. In the present study, the role of vasoactive or neutrophil-derived pro-inflammatory mediators in this process has been investigated. Administration of the thromboxane synthase inhibitor, 1-benzyl-imidazole (BZI, 25-50 mg kg(-1), s.c.), the platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonist, 3-[4-(2-chlorophenyl)-9-methyl-6H-thienol-[3,2-f][1,2,4]-triazolo- [4, 3-a][1,4]-diazepine-2-yl]-1-(4-morpholynil)-1-propionate (WEB 2086; 0.5-1 mg kg(-1), s.c.), the 5-lipoxygenase synthase inhibitor, N-(4-benzyloxybenzyl)-acetohydroxamic acid (BW A137C; 4-20 mg kg(-1), s.c.) or the vasopressin pressor receptor antagonist ([Mca(1), Tyr(Me)(2),Arg(8)]vasopressin/Manning peptide; 0.01-0.2 microg kg(-1), s.c.) dose-dependently reduced the intestinal plasma leakage provoked by L-NAME (5 mg kg(-1), s.c.), following a 5-cm abdominal laparotomy in anaesthetised rats. These findings suggest that constitutive NO synthase effectively counteracts the damaging actions on microvascular integrity of mediators, including thromboxanes, PAF, leukotrienes and vasopressin, released during surgical intervention.