Ultraviolet light radiation (UVR) did not affect resting tension of isolated thoracic aortae of rats. In aortic rings contracted with phenylephrine, however, UVR produced contractile and relaxant responses in preparations with and without endothelium, respectively. The contractile response was dependent upon the duration (10 ~ 320 sec) of irradiation, while the relaxation was not. UVR-induced contractions in endothelium-intact rings were significantly potentiated by increasing the concentrations of phenylephrine from 10-7M to 10-5M, and also by addition of 10-6M acetylcholine, 10-7M isoproterenol and 3.5 × 10-8M nitroglycerine. However, addition of 10-6M phentolamine, or 10-7M to 10-6M LY83583 inhibited the contraction or reversed the contraction to a relaxation. In endothelium-removed preparations the UVR-induced relaxation was attenuated by increasing concentractions of phenylephrine, and by addition of isoproterenol, nitroglycerin, phentolamine or LY83583. These results suggest that UVR produces contractile and relaxant responses in rat thoracic aortae with and without endothelium, respectively, and that the contractile effect results from the inhibition of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) release by UVR the inhibition of and/or is in part re-lated to some endothelium-derived contractile factors (EDCFs).