对下丘脑食欲肽功能意义的研究表明 ,其在食欲调节中处于一个重要的地位。食欲肽对动物摄食的初期反应 ,主要表现在咀嚼和胰岛素的分泌作用 ;当食物出现、食欲肽刺激时 ,动物摄食行为发生明显改变 ,而且摄食量也明显增加。食欲肽A通过延长正常饱感行为的启动来增加食物摄入 ,而食欲肽A受体拮抗剂则抑制食物的摄入 ,并促进正常饱感的启动。下丘脑食欲肽系统对动物在有潜在危险的环境中摄取食物有非常重要的意义 Studies on the functional significance of hypothalamic orexin have shown that they play an important role in the regulation of appetite. The initial response of orexin to animal feeding was mainly manifested in the chewing and the secretion of insulin. When the food appeared and orexin stimulation, the feeding behavior of animals changed obviously, and the food intake also increased obviously. Orexin A increases food intake through prolonged activation of normal satiety, whereas orexin A receptor antagonists inhibit food intake and promote normal satiety initiation. The hypothalamic orexin system is of great importance to animals ingesting food in potentially dangerous environments