Abstract-The cytochrome P450 epoxygenase (CYP)-derived metabolites of arachidonic acid the epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) both function as endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs) in the human coronary microcirculation. However, the relative importance of and potential interactions between these 2 vasodilators remain unexplored. We identified a novel inhibitory interaction between CYPs and H 2 O 2 in human coronary arterioles, where EDHF-mediated vasodilatory mechanisms are prominent. Bradykinin induced vascular superoxide and H 2 O 2 production in an endothelium-dependent manner and elicited a concentration-dependent dilation that was reduced by catalase but not by 14,15-epoxyeicosa-5(Z)-enoic acid (EEZE), 6-(2-propargyloxyphenyl)hexanoic acid, sulfaphenazole, or iberiotoxin. However, in the presence of catalase, an inhibitory effect of these compounds was unmasked.In a tandem-bioassay preparation, application of bradykinin to endothelium-intact donor vessels elicited dilation of downstream endothelium-denuded detectors that was partially inhibited by donor-applied catalase but not by detector-applied EEZE; however, EEZE significantly inhibited dilation in the presence of catalase. EET production by human recombinant CYP 2C9 and 2J2, 2 major epoxygenase isozymes expressed in human coronary arterioles, was directly inhibited in a concentration-dependent fashion by H 2 O 2 in vitro, as observed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); however, EETs were not directly sensitive to oxidative modification. H 2 O 2 inhibited dilation to arachidonic acid but not to 11,12-EET. These findings suggest that an inhibitory interaction exists between 2 EDHFs in the human coronary microcirculation. CYP epoxygenases are directly inhibited by H 2 O 2 , and this interaction may modulate vascular EET bioavailability. (Circ Res. 2008;102:59-67.)Key Words: endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor Ⅲ hydrogen peroxide Ⅲ epoxyeicosatrienoic acid Ⅲ cytochrome P450 Ⅲ reactive oxygen species T he vascular endothelium releases numerous vasodilatory substances, including nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin, and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). EDHF is an important modulator of vasomotor tone, particularly in the microcirculation. 1,2 Despite more than a decade of investigation, the chemical identity of EDHF remains controversial, and multiple EDHFs have been proposed. Among these, substantial evidence now points to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), [3][4][5] cytochrome P450 epoxygenase (CYP)-derived metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA), as EDHFs with another prominent candidate being the reactive oxygen species (ROS) hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). 6,7 It has been reported that a significant inhibitory interaction occurs between NO and EET, in which NO inhibits CYPmediated production of EET from AA. 8 Such an interaction presumably exists to conserve vasodilator substances, while at the same time providing a compensatory mechanism of dilation when one is impaired. It is...