Arcading arterioles (average diam 68 microns ID) connecting adjacent triangular vascular sectors in the rat mesentery were examined in vivo for the presence of flow-dependent vasodilation. When a feed artery to one of these sectors was occluded, the affected sector was supplied by collateral flow through the arcading arteriole, and red cell velocity in the arteriole increased by 10-66 mm/s. The velocity increase was followed (with an average delay of 7.7 s) by dilation of the arcading arteriole, which averaged 68%. The dilation was closely correlated with red cell velocity (r = 0.96), volume flow (r = 0.96), and wall shear rate (r = 0.89). The dilation was sustained for the duration of increased velocity (1-10 min) and was not affected when direction of flow in the arteriole was reversed. The flow-induced dilation was equal to the maximal dilation attained with topically applied papaverine. Dilation of the arcading arteriole could be almost completely abolished if the arteriole was also occluded during occlusion of a feed artery. These observations indicate that a potent flow-dependent dilator mechanism is present in arcading arterioles of rat mesentery and may play an important role in local regulation.