title: Central functions of the orexinergic system.
abstract: The neuropeptide orexin is synthesized by neurons exclusively located in the hypothalamus. However, these neurons send axons over virtually the entire brain and spinal cord and therefore constitute a unique central orexinergic system. It is well known that central orexin plays a crucial role in the regulation of various basic non-somatic and somatic physiological functions, including feeding, energy homeostasis, the sleep/wake cycle, reward, addiction, and neuroendocrine, as well as motor control. Moreover, the absence of orexin results in narcolepsy-cataplexy, a simultaneous somatic and non-somatic dysfunction. In this review, we summarize these central functions of the orexinergic system and associated diseases, and suggest that this system may hold a key position in somatic-non-somatic integration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science and Technology and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Qian-Xing
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Jing-Ning
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068797:Orexins; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins