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Role of orexin receptors in obesity: from cellular to behavioral evidence

C E Perez-Leighton1, T A Butterick-Peterson, C J Billington

  • 1Graduate Program of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. perez087@umn.edu

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|March 7, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Activating orexin receptors (OXR) helps prevent obesity by influencing energy homeostasis. This effect varies across brain regions, requiring a nuanced understanding of orexinergic signaling for obesity treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Orexin peptides and their receptors (OXR) regulate vital functions like energy balance, arousal, stress, and reward.
  • While increased OXR signaling protects against obesity, the specific roles of different brain regions in this process remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing evidence on the role of central orexin receptors (OXR) in regulating energy homeostasis.
  • To elucidate the contribution of OXR activation in various brain regions to obesity resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive analysis of anatomical, cellular, and behavioral evidence.
  • Review of studies investigating orexin receptor function in the central nervous system.

Main Results:

  • Modulation of energy homeostasis by OXR is highly dependent on the specific anatomical and cellular context.
  • Obesity resistance conferred by OXR activation is distributed across multiple brain sites, each with distinct actions.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding OXR's role in obesity development necessitates considering both regional mechanisms and inter-site orexinergic interactions.
  • Targeting orexinergic systems offers potential therapeutic strategies for obesity, but requires a detailed understanding of brain region-specific functions.

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