Hemodynamic shear stress elicits a rise in endothelial [Ca2+]i, which may serve as a key second messenger to regulate many flow-associated physiological and biochemical processes. In the present study, we used Mn2+ quenching of fluorescent dye Fluo3 as an assay to investigate the Ca2+ influx of rat aortic endothelial cells in response to flow. We found that the Ca2+ signaling in response to flow could be greatly influenced by the status of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores by thapsigargin (4 micromol/L) or cyclopiazonic acid (10 micromol/L) drastically sensitized the Ca2+ influx in response to flow. Ca2+-mobilizing agonist bradykinin (100 nmol/L) or ATP (100 micromol/L) had similar sensitizing effect. The effect of bradykinin or ATP was blocked by Xestospongin C and U73122, suggesting that the sensitization was related to the IP3-mediated store depletion. On the other hand, the Mn2+ quenching in response to flow was greatly reduced by ochratoxin A (100 nmol/L), an agent that could increase the filling state of intracellular Ca2+ stores. In addition, we found that depletion-sensitized Ca2+ influx in response to flow was mediated by a PKG-inhibitable cation channel and that the influx was affected by membrane potential and K+ channel activity. In conclusion, the present study argues for a critical role of intracellular Ca2+ status in determining the Ca2+ signaling in response to flow and it provides a general mechanistic explanation for the stimulatory role of blood-borne agonists on flow-induced Ca2+ influx.