[Response of hypothalamic orexin-containing neurons to stimuli of antigen and non-antigen nature].

Orexin is a hypothalamic peptide, a neurotransmitter described in 1998. Orexinergic neurons are localized in hypothalamic structures and play a significant role in regulation of various physiological functions. The localization oforexin-containing neurons and their projections in hypothalamus of Wistar rats and other structures of CNS are presented. The participation of orexinergic neurons in the regulation of feeding behavior and in the sleep/wake cycle as well as their involvement in the regulation of immune functions is discussed. There are experimental data, containing comparative analysis oforexin-containing neurons responses to stimuli of antigenic and non-antigenic nature, which suggest functional heterogeneity of orexin-containing neurons of hypothalamus that leads, particularly, to involvement of different neurons in the realization of brain reaction to antigen and non-antigen stimuli. Both analyses ofpreproorexin gene expression level and morphofunctional characteristics of orecxin-containing neurons of hypothalamus after antigen challenge suggest the possibility of their participation in the mechanisms of realization of brain reaction to antigen challenge.