. cIMP synthesized by sGC as a mediator of hypoxic contraction of coronary arteries. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 307: H328 -H336, 2014. First published June 6, 2014; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00132.2014cGMP is considered the only mediator synthesized by soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) in response to nitric oxide (NO). However, purified sGC can synthesize several other cyclic nucleotides, including inosine 3=,5=-cyclic monophosphate (cIMP). The present study was designed to determine the role of cIMP in hypoxic contractions of isolated porcine coronary arteries. Vascular responses were examined by measuring isometric tension. Cyclic nucleotides were assayed by HPLC tandem mass spectroscopy. Rho kinase (ROCK) activity was determined by measuring the phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 using Western blot analysis and an ELISA kit. The level of cIMP, but not that of cGMP, was elevated by hypoxia in arteries with, but not in those without, endothelium [except if treated with diethylenetriamine (DETA) NONOate]; the increases in cIMP were inhibited by the sGC inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ). Hypoxia (PO2: 25-30 mmHg) augmented contractions of arteries with and without endothelium if treated with DETA NONOate; these hypoxic contractions were blocked by ODQ. In arteries without endothelium, hypoxic augmentation of contraction was also obtained with exogenous cIMP. In arteries with endothelium, hypoxic augmentation of contraction was further enhanced by inosine 5=-triphosphate, the precursor for cIMP. The augmentation of contraction caused by hypoxia or cIMP was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 at Thr 853 , which was prevented by the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632. ROCK activity in the supernatant of isolated arteries was stimulated by cIMP in a concentration-dependent fashion. These results demonstrate that cIMP synthesized by sGC is the likely mediator of hypoxic augmentation of coronary vasoconstriction, in part by activating ROCK. soluble guanylyl cyclase; inosine 3=,5=-cyclic monophosphate; hypoxic vasoconstriction; endothelium A PREVIOUS STUDY reported that acute hypoxia caused a rapid further increase in tension of contracted canine saphenous veins (31). Subsequent findings demonstrated that such a phenomenon, termed hypoxic augmentation of vasoconstriction (5, 15), occurs in a number of blood vessel types (5,7,8,15,21,23,25,26) contracted with norepinephrine (7, 8), phenylephrine (23), PGF 2␣ (15,25), and the TP receptor agonist U-46619 (21), indicating that it is not unique for a specific vasoconstrictor. It occurs in isolated coronary arteries with but not without endothelium (5,15,25,26). The phenomenon is not affected by bosentan, a blocker of endothelin receptors (5), but is prevented by inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (5,15,25). Hypoxic augmentation also occurs in arteries without endothelium treated with an exogenous NO donor (5) However, hypoxic augmentation is not accompanied by changes in the intracellular leve...