Abstract-We have recently shown that systemic administration of a superoxide dismutase mimetic, tempol, resulted in decreases in mean arterial pressure and heart rate along with a reduction in renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). It has also been shown that these parameters are significantly increased by systemic administration of a superoxide dismutase inhibitor, diethyldithio-carbamic (DETC), indicating a potential role of reactive oxygen species in the regulation of RSNA. In this study, we examined the effects of local administrations of 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (tempol) and DETC on RSNA in anesthetized rats. Either tempol or DETC was directly administered onto the renal sympathetic nerves located between the electrode and ganglion. Local application of tempol (10 L, 0.17 to 1.7 mol/L, nϭ6) resulted in dose-dependent decreases in integrated RSNA (by Ϫ81Ϯ6% at 1.7 mol/L) without alterations in mean arterial pressure and heart rate. In contrast, DETC (10 L, 0.17 to 1.7 mol/L, nϭ6) increased RSNA dose-dependently. The responses of RSNA to tempol and DETC were significantly greater in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in normotensive rats (nϭ6, respectively). Local application of sodium nitroprusside (1 mmol/L) or N G -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (0.11 mol/L) altered neither basal RSNA nor tempol-induced reductions in RSNA (nϭ6 and 5, respectively). A voltage-gated potassium channel blocker, 4-aminopyridine (0.1 mol/L), significantly decreased basal RSNA (by Ϫ81Ϯ1%) and completely prevented DETC-induced increases in RSNA (nϭ5). These results suggest that reactive oxygen species play a role in the regulation of peripheral sympathetic nerve activity, and that at least part of this mechanism is mediated through voltage-gated potassium channels. Key Words: nitric oxide Ⅲ oxidative stress Ⅲ potassium channels Ⅲ rats, spontaneously hypertensive Ⅲ sympathetic nervous system S uperoxide anion (O 2 Ϫ ) and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. 1 It has been shown that administration of a cell membrane permeable superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic, 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (tempol) lowers vascular O 2 Ϫ levels and blood pressure in hypertensive animals. [2][3][4] Furthermore, administration of a SOD inhibitor, diethyldithio-carbamic (DETC), increased renal medullary tissue O 2 Ϫ levels and vascular resistance. 5,6 Several in vitro studies also demonstrated that tempol and DETC alter acetylcholine-induced vasodilation under some experimental conditions, 7-9 suggesting that ROS production contributes to altered control of vasomotor tone. Xu et al 10 reported for the first time that tempol had the ability to reduce renal sympathetic activity (RSNA) in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. We have also shown that in anesthetized Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), systemic administration of tempol results in decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) along with a signifi...