SUMMARY1Autoradiographic binding studies have shown that the AT1receptor is the predominant angiotensin II (AngII) receptor subtype in the central nervous system (CNS). Major sites of AT1receptors are the lamina terminalis, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, the lateral parabrachial nucleus, rostral and caudal ventrolateral medulla, nucleus of the solitary tract and the intermediolateral cell column of the thoraco‐lumbar spinal cord.2While there are differences between species, AT2receptors are found mainly in the cerebellum, inferior olive and locus coeruleus of the rat.3Circulating AngII acts on AT1receptors in the subfornical organ and organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) to stimulate neurons that may have a role in initiating water drinking.4Centrally administered AngII may act on AT1receptors in the median preoptic nucleus and elsewhere to induce drinking, sodium appetite, a sympathetic vasoconstrictor response and vasopressin secretion.5Recent evidence shows that centrally administered AT1antagonists inhibit dipsogenic, natriuretic, pressor and vasopressin secretory responses to intracerebroventricular infusion of hypertonic saline. This suggests that an angiotensinergic neural pathway has a role in osmoregulatory responses.6Central angiotensinergic pathways which include neural inputs to the rostral ventrolateral medulla may use AT1receptors and play a role in the function of sympathetic pathways maintaining arterial pressur