We tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress, mediated by dietary vitamin E deprivation, would alter vascular function through the interaction of oxygen-derived free radicals and nitric oxide (NO). This interaction may play an important role in the vascular pathophysiology of many diseases associated with oxidative stress. Mesenteric arteries from control (n = 12) and vitamin E-deprived (n = 12) Sprague-Dawley rats were studied with a myograph. Superoxide dismutase, which scavenges superoxide anions, produced a significantly greater relaxation in the arteries from the vitamin E-deprived rats compared with the controls (P<.05). Superoxide dismutase and catalase produced results similar to superoxide dismutase alone. Pretreatment with an NO synthase inhibitor eliminated the superoxide dismutase-induced relaxation in arteries from both control and vitamin E-deprived rats. L-Arginine induced a greater relaxation in arteries of the vitamin E-deprived group (P<.05). Agonist-induced relaxation with methacholine was not altered by superoxide dismutase for either group of animals, indicating that stimulated release of NO was not influenced by superoxide anions. With the use of Western immunoblot analysis, nitrotyrosine residues were shown to be present in arteries from both the vitamin E-deprived and control rats, but the amount of nitrotyrosine observed was not different between the two groups. In summary, our data indicate that there is a greater inhibition of NO caused by superoxide anions in the vitamin E-deprived group. We speculate that in conditions of oxidative stress (reduced vitamin E levels), altered vascular function may be due to increased destruction of NO by oxygen-derived free radicals.