TY - JOUR
T1 - Distribution of orexin neurons in the adult rat brain
AU - Nambu, Tadahiro
AU - Sakurai, Takeshi
AU - Mizukami, Katsuyoshi
AU - Hosoya, Yasuhiko
AU - Yanagisawa, Masashi
AU - Goto, Katsutoshi
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a grand-in-aid for scientific research from Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan, University of Tsukuba Project Research, and Uehara Memorial Foundation. We would like to thank Dr. W.A. Gray for reading our manuscript.
Copyright:
Copyright 2007 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1999/5/8
Y1 - 1999/5/8
N2 - Orexin (ORX)-A and -B are recently identified neuropeptides, which are specifically localized in neurons within and around the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), the regions classically implicated in feeding behavior. Here, we report a further study of the distribution of ORX-containing neurons in the adult rat brain to provide a general overview of the ORX neuronal system. Immunohistochemical study using anti-ORX antiserum showed ORX-immunoreactive (ir) neurons specifically localized within the hypothalamus, including the perifornical nucleus, LHA, DMH, and posterior hypothalamic area. ORX-ir axons and their varicose terminals showed a widespread distribution throughout the adult rat brain. ORX-ir nerve terminals were observed throughout the hypothalamus, including the arcuate nucleus and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, regions implicated in the regulation of feeding behavior. We also observed strong staining of ORX-ir varicose terminals in areas outside the hypothalamus, including the cerebral cortex, medial groups of the thalamus, circumventricular organs (subfornical organ and area postrema), limbic system (hippocampus, amygdala, and indusium griseum), and brain stem (locus coeruleus and raphe nuclei). These results indicate that the ORX system provides a link between the hypothalamus and other brain regions, and that ORX-containing LHA and DMH neurons play important roles in integrating the complex physiology underlying feeding behavior.
AB - Orexin (ORX)-A and -B are recently identified neuropeptides, which are specifically localized in neurons within and around the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), the regions classically implicated in feeding behavior. Here, we report a further study of the distribution of ORX-containing neurons in the adult rat brain to provide a general overview of the ORX neuronal system. Immunohistochemical study using anti-ORX antiserum showed ORX-immunoreactive (ir) neurons specifically localized within the hypothalamus, including the perifornical nucleus, LHA, DMH, and posterior hypothalamic area. ORX-ir axons and their varicose terminals showed a widespread distribution throughout the adult rat brain. ORX-ir nerve terminals were observed throughout the hypothalamus, including the arcuate nucleus and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, regions implicated in the regulation of feeding behavior. We also observed strong staining of ORX-ir varicose terminals in areas outside the hypothalamus, including the cerebral cortex, medial groups of the thalamus, circumventricular organs (subfornical organ and area postrema), limbic system (hippocampus, amygdala, and indusium griseum), and brain stem (locus coeruleus and raphe nuclei). These results indicate that the ORX system provides a link between the hypothalamus and other brain regions, and that ORX-containing LHA and DMH neurons play important roles in integrating the complex physiology underlying feeding behavior.
KW - Feeding behavior
KW - Hypothalamus
KW - Immunohistochemistry
KW - Orexin
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U2 - 10.1016/S0006-8993(99)01336-0
DO - 10.1016/S0006-8993(99)01336-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 10320718
AN - SCOPUS:0033535747
SN - 0006-8993
VL - 827
SP - 243
EP - 260
JO - Brain Research
JF - Brain Research
IS - 1-2
ER -