In anesthetized rats with sinoaortic denervation, intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) resulted in decreased mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) (depressor effects), whereas icv angiotensin II (ANG II) produced increases in these variables (pressor effects). The depressor effects of ANP were slower in onset and longer in duration than the pressor effects of ANG II. Intracerebroventricular injection of the ANG II-receptor blocker sarthran or the ANG II-synthesis inhibitor captopril resulted in a significant reduction in MAP; HR and RSNA were not affected. Both sarthran and captopril abolished the depressor responses to icv ANP. In contrast, injection of an anti-rat ANP antibody, which blocked the depressor effects of icv ANP, did not by itself modify MAP, HR, or RSNA, nor did the antibody affect the pressor responses to icv ANG II. These data suggest that, in this animal model, the depressor effects of icv ANP are mediated by the inhibition of brain ANG II-dependent neural activity. These results also demonstrate that, in this preparation, the endogenous ANG II system actively contributes to the maintenance of basal MAP, whereas the central ANP system, at least in regions accessible to the antirat ANP antibody, plays little role in this maintenance.