Biology and Medicine

Abstract

Role of Orexin System in Obesity

Giovanni Messina, Vincenzo Monda, Fiorenzo Moscatelli, Anna A. Valenzano, Giuseppe Monda, Teresa Esposito, Saverio De Blasio, Antonietta Messina, Domenico Tafuri, Maria Rosaria Barillari, Giuseppe Cibelli, Sergio Chieffi, Bruno Varriale and Marcellino Monda

Obesity is a public health disease and its incidence is steadily increasing both in adults and in children especially in the Western World. It is important to understand the underlying mechanisms of obesity and possible treatments as the orexin system with its receptors, which are involved in different physiological processes. In fact, the aim of this mini-review is to consider the importance of the orexin system and the role that orexin plays in the regulation of obesity and physical activity. Furthermore to demonstrate how the orexin and its receptors fit within a network distributed in multiple brain areas, each with specific actions, whose activation and interconnection has been seen to lead to a lower propensity for increase of fat mass, it could thus constitute an important future target for prevention and treatment of obesity