The mechanism of vasodilator-induced inhibition of platelet aggregation was investigated in human platelets. Cyclic nucleotide-elevating vasodilators stimulated cAMP- or cGMP-dependent protein phosphorylation, inhibited the activation of both protein kinase C and myosin light chain kinase, and inhibited the thrombin-induced hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate without affecting its resynthesis. The results suggest that cAMP- and cGMP-elevating vasodilators both inhibit platelet aggregation at an early step of the activation cascade, presumably at the level of phospholipase C.