Vasodilating effects of pinacidil in isolated monkey arteries were compared with those of nifedipine and hydralazine, and the relationship of the central nervous system to hypotensive and positive chronotropic effects of pinacidil in SHR was also studied. In arterial strips contracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha, the relaxant potencies of pinacidil were in the order of mesenteric = femoral greater than basilar = middle cerebral arteries, whereas those of nifedipine were middle cerebral = basilar = coronary greater than femoral arteries, and those of hydralazine were femoral greater than middle cerebral = coronary arteries. In pithed SRH, the hypotensive effect of pinacidil was dose-related, similar to hydralazine. Intravenous administration of 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg of pinacidil in SHR demonstrated remarkable hypotension, whereas intracerebroventricular administration of the same doses did not show any significant effects. Therefore, the central autonomic nervous systems did not seem to take part in the hypotensive effects of pinacidil. The hypotension by intravenous administration of pinacidil in SHR was followed by an increase in heart rate. The increase in heart rate in conscious SHR was more marked than that in anaesthetized SHR. In pithed SHR, pinacidil did not show positive chronotropic effects even with the larger dose of 3 mg/kg, i.v. Propranolol pretreatment inhibited the increase in heart rate produced by pinacidil. These results show that activation of efferent sympathetic nerves via the baroreceptor. The peripheral hypotensive mechanism of pinacidil was supported by the present results.