IJBCP International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology Orexin
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Print ISSN: 2319-2003 | Online ISSN: 2279-0780 IJBCP International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20161493 Review Article Orexin receptors: a journey through their discovery to the development of suvorexant, the new sleeping pill Anandabaskar Nishanthi*, Mourouguessine Vimal, Selvarajan Sandhiya, Steven Aibor Dkhar JIPMER, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and ABSTRACT Hospital, Puducherry, India Orexin (OX) neuropeptides acting through G-protein coupled OX1 and OX2 Received: 29 March 2016 receptors are implicated in a variety of physiological roles including regulation Accepted: 27 April 2016 of feeding, sleep-wake cycle, energy metabolism and reward pathways. Accumulating experimental evidence indicates that orexins are wake promoting *Correspondence to: neuropeptides and deficits in orexinergic neurotransmission leads to narcolepsy, Dr. Anandabaskar Nishanthi, a debilitating sleep disorder. This has led to a search for orexin receptor agonists Email: nishanthi11189 for pharmacotherapy of narcolepsy. However, development of orexin receptor @gmail.com agonists are still in their infancy stage and it invokes further research to know whether it could turn into a reality. In addition, the role of orexin neuropeptides Copyright: © the author(s), in promoting arousal and wakefulness has generated considerable interest in publisher and licensee Medip developing orexin receptor antagonists for treatment of insomnia. This quest Academy. This is an open- was accomplished with the approval of suvorexant by United States food and access article distributed under drug administration in 2014. This remarkable discovery has opened a novel the terms of the Creative approach for treatment of insomnia through neuromodulation of orexin Commons Attribution Non- signaling. Hence this review focuses on the orexinergic system, their Commercial License, which physiological action and potential role as pharmacological targets. permits unrestricted non- commercial use, distribution, Keywords: OX receptors, Hypocretin receptors, Insomnia, Suvorexant, and reproduction in any Neuropeptide medium, provided the original work is properly cited. INTRODUCTION orexin-B. These peptide ligands were named after the greek word “orexis” meaning “appetite” since they were Two independent groups of researchers discovered the implicated in regulation of feeding behavior. Later it was orexin/hypocretin neuropeptides in 1998. De Lecea et al discovered that both orexins and hypocretins were similar working on wistar rats identified a hypothalamus specific neuropeptides and this finding ignited a debate on their mRNA coding for a precursor protein preprohypocretin naming system. In order to bring an end to this that on cleavage yielded two closely related proteins nomenclature debate and reach a consensus, the called hypocretin-1 and hypocretin-2.1 Hypocretins were international union of basic and clinical pharmacology 3 named so since they were selectively located in the gave the following recommendations. They proposed to neurons of hypothalamus and because of their similarity designate “hypocretin” for the gene and mRNA coding to the gut peptide “secretin”. Another team of researchers for the neuropeptides. The precursor protein and headed by Sakurai et al used reverse pharmacology processed peptides were named “prepro-orexin” and approach for deorphanization of several orphan G-protein “orexins A and B” respectively. Similarly, the G-protein coupled receptors.2 These screening experiments led to coupled receptors for these peptides were called as the discovery of orexin neuropeptides, orexin-A and “orexin receptors” and the genes that encode these www.ijbcp.com International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology | May-June 2016 | Vol 5 | Issue 3 Page 573 Nishanthi A et al. Int J Basic Clin Pharmacol. 2016 Jun;5(3):573-578 receptors were designated as “hypocretin receptor genes”. and Gi/o (inhibition of cAMP production).7 Studies on Although this nomenclature is confusing at first look cultured rat cortical neurons, show that orexin ligands especially to a novice in this field, it gives credit to the acting on OX2 receptors couple to Gi regulatory protein work of both the groups of scientists who discovered and inhibit cyclic AMP synthesis.8 A recent study on them. Chinese hamster ovarian cell lines has revealed other signaling mechanisms like activation of phospholipase D Orexins are neuropeptides selectively produced by a and release of arachidonic acid upon activation of OX1 group of neurons located in the dorsolateral part of the orexin receptors.9 hypothalamus. They are of two types namely orexin A and B, containing 33 and 28 amino acid peptides Orexins being excitatory neuropeptides, stimulation of respectively with 64% similarity to their amino acid their receptors lead to depolarization by the following sequences. They act on G-protein coupled receptors OX1 mechanisms; (i) activation of NSCC (non - selective and OX2 orexin receptors comprised of 425 and 444 cation channels), (ii) stimulation of NCX (sodium amino acids respectively. The OX2 receptors exhibit equal calcium exchanger) and (iii) inhibition of potassium 10 affinity for both orexin A and B, on the other hand OX1 channels which are active at rest. Although their receptors display tenfold higher affinity for orexin-A than signaling mechanisms have been elucidated, their orexin-B.2 physiological significance still remains elusive. Further studies are needed to clarify the signaling mechanisms, Immunological and molecular biological methods were second messengers involved in orexin pathway and their used to identify the distribution of orexinergic neurons physiological roles. This would give us the opportunity to and orexin receptors. The cell bodies of orexinergic understand the signaling mechanisms and provide a neurons are present mainly in the dorsolateral fruitful resource for drug discovery. hypothalamus, whereas their nerve fibres project widely in the central nervous system especially to the thalamus, Physiological role of orexinergic system hypothalamus, brain stem and spinal cord. There are about 50,000 to 80,000 orexinergic cells in the human Orexin neuronal activation promotes arousal and brain.4 The orexinergic neurons express norepinephrine, wakefulness by modulating the monoaminergic (locus serotonin, muscarinic acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA ceruleus, dorsal raphae nucleus and tuberomammillary (gamma aminobutyric acid), neuropeptide Y, ghrelin, nucleus) and cholinergic neurons (pedunculopontine leptin and cholecystokinin receptors. Thus, the orexin tegmental nucleus/ laterodorsal tegmental nucleus) of the neurons receive information about arousal and central nervous system. A study by Lee et al in rats wakefulness through glutamate, GABA, acetylcholine, demonstrated that while awake and when postural muscle norepinephrine and serotonin signaling; and feeding and tone was high, the orexin neurons discharge actively.11 metabolic state through neuropeptide Y, ghrelin, leptin Conversely, during sleep these neurons stopped firing and cholecystokinin signaling.5 signals. Hence, the authors concluded that orexinergic neurons stimulate wakefulness and increase tone of In the central nervous system, orexinergic neurons project muscle. Genetic ablation of the orexin containing neurons to the monoaminergic neurons promoting wakefulness in transgenic mice led to a phenotype similar to human like locus ceruleus (noradrenergic), dorsal raphe nucleus narcolepsy. These mice models were found to be obese (serotonergic) and tuberomamillary nucleus with hypophagia and ate less compared to their (histaminergic). These nuclei are richly endowed with the counterparts. This has led to a notion that orexinergic orexin receptors. Locus ceruleus neurons express mainly neurons could be involved in regulating energy 12 OX1 orexin receptors, tuberomammillary nuclei expresses metabolism along with regulation of feeding. OX2 orexin receptors and dorsal raphe nucleus expresses both OX1 and OX2 orexin receptors. Also cholinergic Apart from regulation of sleep wake cycle and appetite, neurons of pedunculopontine tegmental studies have demonstrated the role of orexins in activating nucleus/laterodorsal tegmental nucleus promote the brain reward systems. It was found that the vesicles of wakefulness and are richly furnished with OX1 orexin the presynaptic nerve terminals containing orexin receptors.5 neuropeptides housed co-transmitter dynorphin.13 Dynorphin decreases reward sensitivity and is associated Orexin signaling mechanisms with depression-like state. Later, it was discovered that orexin signaling through OX1 receptors facilitate reward The orexin receptor signaling mechanisms are highly by antagonizing the anti-reward effects of its co- complex. In a study by Karteris et al, it was found that the transmitter dynorphin.14 A recent study done by Flores et orexin receptors non-specifically couple to either of the al revealed the role of orexin receptors in extinction of four types of G-proteins, namely Gs, Gq , Go and Gi.6 A fear memories.15 This invokes further studies using orexin similar finding was observed in another study done in receptor antagonists as therapeutic targets for treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cell lines, where the OX1 orexin diseases associated with overwhelming and unreasonable receptors were reported to couple with Gs (stimulation of fear like phobia and post-traumatic stress disorders. cAMP production), Gq (activation