Sickness behaviors are host defense adaptations that arise from integrated autonomic outputs in response to activation of the innate immune system. These behaviors include fever, anorexia, and hyperalgesia intended to promote survival of the host when encountering pathogens. Cannabinoid (CB) receptor activation can induce hypothermia and attenuate LPS-evoked fever. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of CB1 receptors in the LPS-evoked febrile response. CB1 receptor-deficient (CB1 Ϫ/Ϫ ) mice did not display LPSevoked fever; likewise, pharmacological blockade of CB1 receptors in wild-type mice blocked LPS-evoked fever. This unresponsiveness is not limited to thermogenesis, as the animals were not hyperalgesic after LPS administration. A Toll-like receptor (TLR)3 agonist and viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid evoked a robust fever in CB1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice, suggesting TLR3-mediated responses are functional. LPS-evoked c-Fos activation in areas of the brain associated with the febrile response was evident in wild-type mice but not in CB1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice. Liver and spleen TLR4 mRNA were significantly lower in CB1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice compared with wild-type mice, and peritoneal macrophages from CB1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice did not release proinflammatory cytokines in response to LPS. These data indicate that CB1 receptors play a critical role in LPS-induced febrile responses through inhibiting TLR4-mediated cytokine production.endocannabinoid; Toll-like receptor; fever; cytokine FEVER IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT of the innate immune response; subjects that are prevented from developing fever have increased morbidity and mortality (24,30). Fever occurs when structural motifs on bacterial cell walls, e.g., LPS for gramnegative bacteria, or double-stranded viral DNA, are recognized by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on cells of the innate immune system (2, 32). LPS-evoked inflammation is via TLR4 activation, whereas viral moieties are recognized by TLR3. These signaling pathways are activated in monocytes and circulating or resident macrophages (e.g., Kupffer cells of the liver) to cause synthesis and release of a number of pyrogenic factors, including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-␣, and IFN␥. These cytokines signal to the brain to induce cyclooxygenase (COX) 2-dependent prostaglandin synthesis and additional cytokine synthesis in the brain (11). The resulting thermoregulatory response consists of both hypothermic and hyperthermic components, depending upon pyrogen, dose, and ambient temperature (47) and is often accompanied by other components of the host defense response, including hyperalgesia, anorexia, and sickness behaviors (14). Almost concurrently with the generation of a proinflammatory response is the production of several anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-10) and corticosteroids that limit the febrile response (7,46).Innate immune febrile responses can be modified by endogenous cannabinoids (eCB) acting on cannabinoid receptors (CB 1 and CB 2 ) in the central nervous system and periphery. The best recognized eCBs ar...