Dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA-12) treatment affects the overall levels of Net/maoA mRNA expression in the hippocampus

The orexinergic system plays a significant role in regulating proper sleep/wake maintenance. Dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA) is widely prescribed for insomnia symptoms. The antagonist acts on orexin 1 and 2 receptors located in certain brain areas, including the locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe. Nevertheless, its effects on monoamine-related gene expression remain unclear. Here, we measured the expression levels of monoamine-related genes in DORA-treated mice. DORA treatment significantly affected overall levels of noradrenalin transporter/monoamine oxidases A mRNA expression in the hippocampus. Our findings suggest that DORA contributes to noradrenalin-related gene expression regulation in the central nervous system. (c) 2020 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Japanese Pharmacological Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The orexinergic system is crucial in regulating proper sleep/wake maintenance, and the dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA) is commonly used for treating insomnia symptoms. DORA treatment significantly impacts the expression levels of monoamine-related genes in the hippocampus, contributing to the regulation of noradrenalin-related gene expression in the central nervous system.