title: Differential distribution of orexin-A and orexin-B immunoreactivity in the rat brain and spinal cord.
abstract: The orexins are recently identified appetite-stimulating hypothalamic peptides. We used immunohistochemistry to map orexin-A and orexin-B immunoreactivity in rat brain, spinal cord, and some peripheral tissues. Orexin-A- and orexin-B-immunoreactive cell bodies were confined to the lateral hypothalamic area and perifornical nuclei. Orexin-A-immunoreactive fibers were densely distributed in the hypothalamus, septum, thalamus, locus coeruleus, spinal cord, and near the ventricles, but absent from peripheral sites investigated. In contrast, orexin-B-immunoreactive fibers were distributed sparsely in the hypothalamus. Orexin cells are strategically sited to contribute to feeding regulation, but their widespread projections suggest that orexins have other physiological roles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Liverpool, England. dcutler@liverpool.ac.uk
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cutler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sheridhar
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Wattam
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Arch
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Buckingham
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D000068797:Orexins; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins