{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01757188498402556, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.594736842105263, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Antagonism of orexin receptors significantly lowers blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats

•  Orexin is involved in blood pressure regulation. Certain forms of stress or central administration of orexin increases blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity in normal rats; orexin knockout mice and orexin neuron‐ablated transgenic rats have lower basal blood pressure. The role of orexin in hypertension remains unknown. •  RT‐PCR shows a strong trend towards an increased orexin‐A mRNA expression in the rostral ventrolateral medulla in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats. •  In adult spontaneously hypertensive rats, blocking orexin receptors by oral administration of an antagonist, almorexant, significantly lowers blood pressure in wakefulness and non‐rapid eye movement sleep during dark and light cycles, an effect accompanied by decreased sympathetic vasomotor tone and noradrenaline levels in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma. •  Antagonizing orexin receptors had no effect on resting blood pressure in normal rats. •  The orexin system participates in the pathogenesis of high blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Modulation of the orexin system could be a potential target in treating some forms of hypertension.