Abstract: Objective To assess the effect of tanshinone（Tan）ⅡA on oxidative stress in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus（PVN）,sympathoexcitation and blood pressure,and to explore central mechanism of TanⅡA in highsalt-induced hypertensive rats. Methods Thirty two 7-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats with baseline body weights between 150 and 170grams were divided into 4groups:the high-salt diet with TanⅡA group8% NaCl+TanⅡA15mg/（kg·d）,the high-salt diet control group（8% NaCl+normal saline）,the normal-salt diet with TanⅡA group0.3% NaCl+TanⅡA 15mg/（kg·d）and the normal-salt diet control group（0.3% NaCl+normal saline）.Arterial pressure was determined every 2 weeks by a tail-cuff occlusion. After 16 weeks,the renal sympathetic nerve activity（RSNA）of rats was detected by electrophysiological method.Then,all rats were decapitated. The expression levels of gp91 phox,IL-1βand IL-10 in PVN were detected by immunofluorescence,immunohistochemistry and Western blot methods. Oxidative stress in PVN was detected by dihydroethidium（DHE）staining.Results High-salt diet induced an increase in RSNA and arterial pressure compared with control rats16th week（148.2±4.4）vs（112.9±4.3）mm Hg,P＜0.05. Arterial pressure of high-salt diet with TanⅡA group was reduced compared with that of high-salt diet control group （126.5±4.4）vs（148.2±4.4）mm Hg,P＜0.05. RSNA values in high-salt diet control group was higher than normal-salt diet control group,and which was 67.97%in highsalt diet with TanⅡA group compared to high-salt diet control group. Expression levels of gp91 phoxand IL-1βwere markedly higher in high-salt diet with TanⅡA group than high-salt diet control rats,while that of IL-10 were lower.Conclusion TanⅡA can reduce arterial pressure in high-salt diet induced hypertensive rats,at least in part via inhibiting oxidative stress in PVN,balancing inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines,as well as inhibiting sympathetic nervous excitement.