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. 2013 Jan 8;29(3):355–365. doi: 10.1007/s12264-012-1297-4

Central functions of the orexinergic system

Xiao-Yang Zhang 1, Lei Yu 1, Qian-Xing Zhuang 1, Jing-Ning Zhu 1,✉, Jian-Jun Wang 1,✉
PMCID: PMC5561835  PMID: 23299718

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.

Keywords: orexin, sleep/wake cycle, motor control, narcolepsy-cataplexy, integration of somatic-non-somatic responses

Contributor Information

Jing-Ning Zhu, Email: jnzhu@nju.edu.cn.

Jian-Jun Wang, Email: jjwang@nju.edu.cn.

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