Rat liver ADP-ribose pyrophosphatase-I (ADPRibase-I; EC 3.6.1.13) hydrolyzes ADP-ribose with high specificity and a low Km. Thus it can participate in the control of free ADP-ribose and nonenzymatic ADP-ribosylation of proteins. Here we show that ADPRibase-I was inactivated by acidified nitrite, whereas sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) at pH 7.5 produced a dose- and time-dependent Km increase from 0.5 microM to 2 microM. The effects of SNP and SIN-1 depended on the presence and concentration of dithiothreitol, pointing to S-nitrosylation of enzyme thiols. It is suggested that, by inhibiting ADPRibase-I, NO can stimulate nonenzymatic ADP-ribosylation of targets susceptible to micromolar free ADP-ribose. This is discussed in relation to apparently contradictory earlier reports on the role of NO in the ADP-ribosylation of actin.