title: Orexin-A controls sympathetic activity and eating behavior.
abstract: It is extremely important for the health to understand the regulatory mechanisms of energy expenditure. These regulatory mechanisms play a central role in the pathogenesis of body weight alteration. The hypothalamus integrates nutritional information derived from all peripheral organs. This region of the brain controls hormonal secretions and neural pathways of the brainstem. Orexin-A is a hypothalamic neuropeptide involved in the regulation of feeding behavior, sleep-wakefulness rhythm, and neuroendocrine homeostasis. This neuropeptide is involved in the control of the sympathetic activation, blood pressure, metabolic status, and blood glucose level. This minireview focuses on relationship between the sympathetic nervous system and orexin-A in the control of eating behavior and energy expenditure. The "thermoregulatory hypothesis" of food intake is analyzed, underlining the role played by orexin-A in the control of food intake related to body temperature. Furthermore, the paradoxical eating behavior induced orexin-A is illustrated in this minireview.
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalia
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Motor Sciences, Parthenope University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tafuri
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dato
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Blasio
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chieffi
authors.affiliation: Section of Human Physiology and Clinical Dietetic Service, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcellino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monda
keywords: behavior; body weight; energy expenditure; orexin-A; sympathetic nervous system