Videometric measurements of changes in vessel lumen diameters were made to investigate autoregulatory and tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) responses of early efferent arterioles (EA), mid-to-late afferent arterioles (MAA), and terminal, juxtaglomerular afferent arterioles (JAA) in rat juxtamedullary nephrons in vitro. High-contrast shadow-cast images of blood-perfused arterioles at the glomerular vascular pole were obtained with incident illumination and long-working-distance objectives fitted to a compound microscope. In response to an increase in blood perfusion pressure from 60 to 140 mmHg, strong autoregulatory vasoconstriction was observed in the MAA and JAA, with respective reductions in mean luminal diameter of 23 +/- 4 and 40 +/- 4% (mean +/- SE); EA diameter was unchanged. In response to TGF excitation by direct microinjection of Ringer solution into the cortical thick ascending limb segment near the macula densa, JAA luminal diameter decreased by 34 +/- 5%. The TGF responses were completely inhibited by the addition of 0.1 mM furosemide to the tubular injectate. Calcium channel blockade achieved by adding 1 microM nimodipine to the superfusate had no effect on early EA diameter but produced a blood pressure-dependent JAA and MAA vasodilation and complete inhibition of autoregulatory responses. These results provide direct evidence that the distal afferent arteriole in juxtamedullary nephrons is a major effector site for both renal autoregulation and tubuloglomerular feedback.