Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
J Neurochem. 2024 Sep;168(9):2379-2390. doi: 10.1111/jnc.16195. Epub 2024 Aug 2.
Orexin is exclusively produced in neurons localized within the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and perifornical area (PFA). Orexin has been identified as a key promotor of arousal. The selective loss of orexinergic neurons results in narcolepsy. It is known that the intrinsic electrophysiological properties are critical for neurons to perform their functions in corresponding brain regions. In addition to hypothalamic orexin, other brain nuclei are involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness. Quite a lot of studies focus on elucidating orexin-induced regulation of sleep-wake states and modulation of neuronal electrophysiological properties in several brain regions. Here, we summarize that the orexinergic neurons exhibit spontaneous firing activity which is associated with the states of sleep-wake cycle. Orexin mainly exerts postsynaptic excitatory effects on multiple brain nuclei associated with the process of sleep and wakefulness. This review may provide a background to guide future research about the cellular mechanisms of orexin-induced maintaining of arousal.
食欲素仅由位于下丘脑外侧区（LHA）和穹窿周区（PFA）的神经元产生。食欲素已被确定为觉醒的关键促进剂。选择性丧失食欲素能神经元会导致嗜睡症。已知，内在的电生理特性对于神经元在相应的脑区中执行其功能至关重要。除了下丘脑的食欲素外，其他脑核也参与了睡眠和觉醒的调节。相当多的研究集中在阐明食欲素诱导的睡眠-觉醒状态的调节以及在几个脑区中神经元电生理特性的调制。在这里，我们总结了食欲素能神经元表现出与睡眠-觉醒周期状态相关的自发放电活动。食欲素主要对与睡眠和觉醒过程相关的多个脑核施加突触后兴奋性作用。该综述可能为指导未来关于食欲素诱导觉醒维持的细胞机制的研究提供背景。
