1 In the present study, we have pharmacologically characterized two novel mixed endothelin ET A /ET B receptor antagonists, namely BQ-928 and BQ-238, in ET A and ET B preparations, the rabbit carotid artery (RbCA) and the rabbit pulmonary artery (RbPA), respectively. These two antagonists were compared to established ET A (BQ-123 and BMS 182874), ET B (BQ-788) and mixed ET A /ET B (SB 209670) receptor antagonists. 2 In the RbCA, the ET A monoreceptor preparation, BQ-238 and BQ-928 had apparent a nities (pA 2 ) of 7.42+0.22 and 7.22+0.18, respectively, BQ-788 being inactive in this preparation. In the ET B monoreceptor preparation, the RbPA (when IRL-1620 was used as an ET B receptor agonist), the pA 2 for BQ-238 was 7.05+0.14 and for BQ-928 was 8.43+0.04. BQ-123 and BMS 182874 were inactive in this preparation. Similar to SB 209670, BQ-238 but not BQ-928 had a higher a nity for the ET A than the ET B receptor. 3 All of the antagonists were tested for their ability to block and reverse endothelin-1-induced vasoconstrictions in the rabbit perfused kidney. In this preparation endothelin-1-induced increases in vascular resistance have been shown to be mediated solely by ET A receptors. All compounds (except BQ-788) blocked the pressor e ects of endothelin within the kidney; the calculated IC 50 values for BQ-123, BMS 182874, SB 209670, BQ-928 and BQ-238 were 0.4 mM, 2 mM, 0.01 mM, 0.4 mM and 0.09 mM, respectively. 4 In all experiments in the rabbit perfused kidney, endothelin-1 was readministered for a third time, 60 min following cessation of infusion of the above-mentioned antagonists. The response to the third infusion of endothelin-1 following cessation of infusion of BQ-123, BMS 182874 and SB 209670 was not signi®cantly di erent from that to the third infusion of endothelin in control conditions. However, the response to endothelin-1 was signi®cantly higher than control in tissues pre-infused with BQ-788 or BQ-928 (56+9 and 41.6+15%, respectively, n=8 each, P50.05). 5 Our results suggest that in a system where ET A receptor activation is responsible for vasoconstriction and ET B -receptor activation for vasodilatation, ET A receptor selective antagonists or mixed ET A /ET B receptor antagonists which possess high a nity for ET A receptors do not induce hyperresponsiveness to endothelin-1. In contrast, ET B selective antagonists or mixed antagonists possessing a high a nity for ET B receptors (such as BQ-928) interfere with the ET B -receptor-dependent physiological antagonism of endothelin-1-induced pressor responses in these same tissues.