Selective orexin receptor cross-over treatment increases resilience and expression of neuroplastic signaling genes (opens in new tab)

Social stress, beneficial for evaluating threats and resource opportunities, influences the development of anxious and depressive disorders. Stress responses are initiated via a pro-stress circuit in the anterior region of the basolateral amygdala (aBLA). This circuit contains pyramidal glutamatergic neurons that express genetic markers Camk2α, Rspo2, and Hcrtr1, which enhance stress-vulnerable behaviors via Orx1R activity, and are inhibited directly by Orx2R activation on Gad1, Hcrtr2, Cck G...