II is thought to increase sympathetic outflow by increasing oxidative stress and promoting local inflammation in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. However, the relative contributions of inflammation and oxidative stress to sympathetic drive remain poorly understood, and the underlying cellular and molecular targets have yet to be examined. ANG II has been shown to enhance Toll-like receptor (TLR)4-mediated signaling on microglia. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to determine whether ANG II-mediated activation of microglial TLR4 signaling is a key molecular target initiating local oxidative stress in the PVN. We found TLR4 and ANG II type 1 (AT 1) receptor mRNA expression in hypothalamic microglia, providing molecular evidence for the potential interaction between these two receptors. In hypothalamic slices, ANG II induced microglial activation within the PVN (Ļ³65% increase, P Ļ½ 0.001), an effect that was blunted in the absence of functional TLR4. ANG II increased ROS production, as indicated by dihydroethidium fluorescence, within the PVN of rats and mice (P Ļ½ 0.0001 in both cases), effects that were also dependent on the presence of functional TLR4. The microglial inhibitor minocycline attenuated ANG II-mediated ROS production, yet ANG II effects persisted in PVN single-minded 1-AT 1a knockout mice, supporting the contribution of a non-neuronal source (likely microglia) to ANG II-driven ROS production in the PVN. Taken together, these results support functional interactions between AT 1 receptors and TLR4 in mediating ANG II-dependent microglial activation and oxidative stress within the PVN. More broadly, our results support a functional interaction between the central renin-angiotensin system and innate immunity in the regulation of neurohumoral outflows from the PVN. ANGIOTENSIN II (ANG II) plays a critical role in fluid balance and hemodynamic regulation (25). Within the central nervous system (CNS), ANG II acting through ANG II type 1 a (AT 1a ) receptors (AT 1a R) has been shown to be implicated in the regulation of sympathetic and neuroendocrine outputs from the brain (45, 49, 50). The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus has been recognized as a critical neuronal substrate mediating central ANG II actions, thus playing a critical role in ANG II-mediated neurohumoral responses (23, 78). Indeed, a large body of evidence supports enhanced angiotensinergic actions within the CNS, including the PVN, as a key pathophysiological mechanism involved in cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and heart failure (37,60,78,80,88). However, despite its importance, the precise mechanisms and cellular/ molecular targets underlying ANG II signaling within the CNS are incompletely understood.Inflammation and oxidative stress have emerged as novel mechanisms by which central ANG II mediates its deleterious effects. For example, studies have shown that pressor and sympathetic responses to central ANG II are mediated by superoxide within the PVN (8, 22). Likewise, several studie...