Renal oxygen tension is substantially lower in the medulla than in the cortex and is reduced in hypertensive rats, a model of oxidative stress. Expression of NADPH oxidase, the primary source for superoxide anion (O(2)(-)*) in the kidney, is elevated in hypertension. Because molecular oxygen (O(2)) is required for O(2)(-)* formation, we tested the hypothesis that renal NADPH oxidase activity is limited by low O(2). O(2)(-)* production by rat kidney tissue or cultured cells exposed to levels of Po(2) that mimics those in the kidney was assessed by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. NADPH-dependent O(2)(-)* production by kidney homogenates decreased reversibly by 60-90% after graded reductions of ambient O(2) from 10 to 0% (76 to 2 mmHg Po(2)). The NADPH-dependent O(2)(-)* production by the kidney homogenate was reduced by decreasing Po(2) below approximately 30 mmHg. The response of tissue homogenates to low Po(2) was not different between normotensive and hypertensive rats. Similarly, NADPH-dependent O(2)(-)* production was lower during 2% O(2) compared with 10% O(2) in rat proximal tubule cells (-57 +/- 1%), vascular smooth muscle (-42 +/- 5%), cardiomyocytes (-57 +/- 1%), and mouse inner medulla collecting duct cells (-58 +/- 3%). We conclude that O(2)(-)* production by NADPH oxidase is dependent on availability of O(2). Therefore, O(2)(-)* generation may be limited in the kidney, both in the normal renal medulla and in the cortex of hypertensive kidneys.