['To test the hypothesis that the diameter of skeletal muscle arterioles is determined by the interaction of responses elicited by intravascular pressure and flow.', 'Experiments were conducted on isolated, cannulated, first-order arterioles of cremaster muscle of male Wistar rats. The diameter of arterioles was followed by videomicroscopy. Perfusion pressures and flows were controlled.', 'In the absence of perfusate flow, increases in perfusion pressure (from 0 to 120 mm Hg), after initial dilation, elicited endothelium independent constrictions of arterioles. At 60 mm Hg of perfusion pressure, the active diameter of vessels was 84.9 +/- 1.9 microns. The passive diameter of arterioles (Ca2(+)-free solution)was 150.6 +/- 2.4 microns. Increases in perfusate flow resulted in a significant upward shift in the pressure-diameter curves; in the presence of perfusate flows of 20, 40, and 60 microL/min, the constriction of the vessels at a pressure of 60 mm Hg was attenuated by 25.1 +/- 3.9%, 35.2 +/- 3.0%, and 46.8 +/- 4.4%, respectively. In contrast, the corresponding diameter of arterioles at perfusate flows of 10 to 60 microL/min was significantly reduced when perfusion pressure was increased from 60 to 80 and 100 mm Hg (at a flow of 60 microL/min) by 12.0 +/- 4.3% and 37.1 +/- 2.8%, respectively. Hence, both flow- and shear stress-diameter curves were significantly shifted downward when perfusion pressure increased from 60 to 100 mm Hg.'] Do flow-dependent dilation and myogenic constriction interact to establish the resistance of skeletal muscle arterioles?