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Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Aug 2022In this paper, we analyse the claim that oxytocin is a 'social neuropeptide'. This claim originated from evidence that oxytocin was instrumental in the initiation of... (Review)
Review
In this paper, we analyse the claim that oxytocin is a 'social neuropeptide'. This claim originated from evidence that oxytocin was instrumental in the initiation of maternal behaviour and it was extended to become the claim that oxytocin has a key role in promoting social interactions between individuals. We begin by considering the structure of the scientific literature on this topic, identifying closely interconnected clusters of papers on particular themes. We then analyse this claim by considering evidence of four types as generated by these clusters: (i) mechanistic studies in animal models, designed to understand the pathways involved in the behavioural effects of centrally administered oxytocin; (ii) evidence from observational studies indicating an association between oxytocin signalling pathways and social behaviour; (iii) evidence from intervention studies, mainly involving intranasal oxytocin administration; and (iv) evidence from translational studies of patients with disorders of social behaviour. We then critically analyse the most highly cited papers in each segment of the evidence; we conclude that, if these represent the best evidence, then the evidence for the claim is weak. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
Topics: Administration, Intranasal; Animals; Cognition; Oxytocin; Social Behavior
PubMed: 35858110
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0055 -
International Review of Neurobiology 2018Interest for the use of oxytocin as a treatment for addiction began over 40years ago. Better known for its roles in parturition, lactation and pair bonding, oxytocin... (Review)
Review
Interest for the use of oxytocin as a treatment for addiction began over 40years ago. Better known for its roles in parturition, lactation and pair bonding, oxytocin also has anxiolytic properties, reduces immune and inflammatory responses, and has a role in learning and memory. In this chapter, oxytocin effects on addiction processes are described by highlighting research findings that have used oxytocin within current preclinical animal models of addiction, relapse, or craving. First, we provide a brief background of the endogenous oxytocin system followed by descriptions of the behavioral models used to study addiction, including models of drug taking and seeking. Then we review recent preclinical studies that have used oxytocin as a therapeutic intervention throughout multiple stages of the addiction cycle from a behavioral and neurobiological perspective. These models encompass the entire range of the addiction cycle including acquisition and maintenance of drug taking, withdrawal and craving during periods of drug abstinence, and ultimately relapse. We then posit several theories about how oxytocin interacts with both drug and social reward, as well as presenting a mechanistic account of how specific oxytocin receptor localization may contribute to oxytocin's efficacy as an addiction therapeutic.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Addictive; Behavior, Animal; Disease Models, Animal; Oxytocin; Receptors, Oxytocin; Social Behavior; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 30193705
DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.07.007 -
Hormones and Behavior Mar 2012
Topics: Animals; Autistic Disorder; Biological Evolution; Brain Chemistry; Cognition; Humans; Maternal Behavior; Oxytocin; Receptor Cross-Talk; Receptors, Oxytocin; Receptors, Vasopressin; Social Behavior; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins
PubMed: 22443808
DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.02.019 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2021The neuropeptide oxytocin is produced in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus. In addition to its extensively studied... (Review)
Review
The neuropeptide oxytocin is produced in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus. In addition to its extensively studied influence on social behavior and reproductive function, central oxytocin signaling potently reduces food intake in both humans and animal models and has potential therapeutic use for obesity treatment. In this review, we highlight rodent model research that illuminates various neural, behavioral, and signaling mechanisms through which oxytocin's anorexigenic effects occur. The research supports a framework through which oxytocin reduces food intake via amplification of within-meal physiological satiation signals rather than by altering between-meal interoceptive hunger and satiety states. We also emphasize the distributed neural sites of action for oxytocin's effects on food intake and review evidence supporting the notion that central oxytocin is communicated throughout the brain, at least in part, through humoral-like volume transmission. Finally, we highlight mechanisms through which oxytocin interacts with various energy balance-associated neuropeptide and endocrine systems (e.g., agouti-related peptide, melanin-concentrating hormone, leptin), as well as the behavioral mechanisms through which oxytocin inhibits food intake, including effects on nutrient-specific ingestion, meal size control, food reward-motivated responses, and competing motivations.
Topics: Animals; Eating; Energy Metabolism; Feeding Behavior; Humans; Neurons; Obesity; Oxytocin; Social Behavior
PubMed: 34639199
DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910859 -
Current Neuropharmacology 2018The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin regulates reproductive behavior and mother-infant interaction, and conclusive studies in humans indicate that oxytocin is also a... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin regulates reproductive behavior and mother-infant interaction, and conclusive studies in humans indicate that oxytocin is also a potent modulator of psychosocial function. Pilot experiments have yielded first evidence that this neuropeptide moreover influences eating behavior.
METHODS
We briefly summarize currently available studies on the involvement of the oxytocin system in the pathophysiology of eating disorders, as well as on the effects of oxytocin administration in patients with these disorders.
RESULTS
Brain administration of oxytocin in animals with normal weight, but also with diet-induced or genetically induced obesity, attenuates food intake and reduces body weight. In normal-weight and obese individuals, acute intranasal oxytocin delivery curbs calorie intake from main dishes and snacks. Such effects might converge with the poignant social and cognitive impact of oxytocin to also improve dysfunctional eating behavior in the therapeutic context. This assumption has received support in first studies showing that oxytocin might play a role in the disease process of anorexia nervosa. In contrast, respective experiments in patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are still scarce.
CONCLUSIONS
We propose a framework of oxytocin's role and its therapeutic potential in eating disorders that aims at integrating social and metabolic aspects of its pharmacological profile, and ponder perspectives and limitations of oxytocin use in the clinical setting.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Humans; Oxytocin; Social Behavior
PubMed: 29189166
DOI: 10.2174/1570159X15666171128143158 -
British Journal of Pharmacology Apr 2022Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are endogenous ligands for OT and AVP receptors in the brain and in the peripheral system. Several studies demonstrate that OT and... (Review)
Review
Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are endogenous ligands for OT and AVP receptors in the brain and in the peripheral system. Several studies demonstrate that OT and AVP have opposite roles in modulating stress, anxiety and social behaviours. Interestingly, both peptides and their receptors exhibit high sequence homology which could account for the biased signalling interaction of the peptides with OT and AVP receptors. However, how and under which conditions this crosstalk occurs in vivo remains unclear. In this review we shed light on the complexity of the roles of OT and AVP, by focusing on their signalling and behavioural differences and exploring the crosstalk between the receptor systems. Moreover, we discuss the potential of OT and AVP receptors as therapeutic targets to treat human disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia and drug abuse. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Building Bridges in Neuropharmacology. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.8/issuetoc.
Topics: Brain; Humans; Ligands; Oxytocin; Receptors, Oxytocin; Receptors, Vasopressin; Social Behavior; Vasopressins
PubMed: 33817785
DOI: 10.1111/bph.15481 -
Journal of Neuroendocrinology Nov 2021Early-life experience influences social and emotional behaviour in adulthood. Affiliative tactile stimuli in early life facilitate the development of social and... (Review)
Review
Early-life experience influences social and emotional behaviour in adulthood. Affiliative tactile stimuli in early life facilitate the development of social and emotional behaviour, whereas early-life adverse stimuli have been shown to increase the risk of various diseases in later life. On the other hand, oxytocin has been shown to have organizational actions during early-life stages. However, the detailed mechanisms of the effects of early-life experience and oxytocin remain unclear. Here, we review the effects of affiliative tactile stimuli during the neonatal period and neonatal oxytocin treatment on the activity of the oxytocin-oxytocin receptor system and social or emotional behaviour in adulthood. Both affiliative tactile stimuli and early-life adverse stimuli in the neonatal period acutely activate the oxytocin-oxytocin receptor system in the brain but modulate social behaviour and anxiety-related behaviour apparently in an opposite direction in adulthood. Accumulating evidence suggests that affiliative tactile stimuli and exogenous application of oxytocin in early-life stages induce higher activity of the oxytocin-oxytocin receptor system in adulthood, although the effects are dependent on experimental procedures, sex, dosages and brain regions examined. On the other hand, early-life stressful stimuli appear to induce reduced activity of the oxytocin-oxytocin receptor system, possibly leading to adverse actions in adulthood. It is possible that activation of a specific oxytocin system can induce beneficial actions against early-life maltreatments and thus could be used for the treatment of developmental psychiatric disorders.
Topics: Adult; Emotions; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Oxytocin; Receptors, Oxytocin; Social Behavior
PubMed: 34713517
DOI: 10.1111/jne.13049 -
Endocrine Reviews Apr 2020There is growing evidence that oxytocin (OXT), a hypothalamic hormone well recognized for its effects in inducing parturition and lactation, has important metabolic... (Review)
Review
There is growing evidence that oxytocin (OXT), a hypothalamic hormone well recognized for its effects in inducing parturition and lactation, has important metabolic effects in both sexes. The purpose of this review is to summarize the physiologic effects of OXT on metabolism and to explore its therapeutic potential for metabolic disorders. In model systems, OXT promotes weight loss by decreasing energy intake. Pair-feeding studies suggest that OXT-induced weight loss may also be partly due to increased energy expenditure and/or lipolysis. In humans, OXT appears to modulate both homeostatic and reward-driven food intake, although the observed response depends on nutrient milieu (eg, obese vs. nonobese), clinical characteristics (eg, sex), and experimental paradigm. In animal models, OXT is anabolic to muscle and bone, which is consistent with OXT-induced weight loss occurring primarily via fat loss. In some human observational studies, circulating OXT concentrations are also positively associated with lean mass and bone mineral density. The impact of exogenous OXT on human obesity is the focus of ongoing investigation. Future randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials in humans should include rigorous, standardized, and detailed assessments of adherence, adverse effects, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and efficacy in the diverse populations that may benefit from OXT, in particular those in whom hypothalamic OXT signaling may be abnormal or impaired (eg, individuals with Sim1 deficiency, Prader-Willi syndrome, or craniopharyngioma). Future studies will also have the opportunity to investigate the characteristics of new OXT mimetic peptides and the obligation to consider long-term effects, especially when OXT is given to children and adolescents. (Endocrine Reviews XX: XX - XX, 2020).
Topics: Animals; Body Composition; Bone Density; Eating; Humans; Obesity; Oxytocin; Weight Loss
PubMed: 31803919
DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnz012 -
Brain Research Sep 2014The role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression has been a topic of growing interest. This subject carries important implications, given that postpartum... (Review)
Review
The role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression has been a topic of growing interest. This subject carries important implications, given that postpartum depression can have detrimental effects on both the mother and her infant, with lifelong consequences for infant socioemotional and cognitive development. In recent years, oxytocin has received attention for its potential role in many neuropsychiatric conditions beyond its well-described functions in childbirth and lactation. In the present review, we present available data on the clinical characteristics and neuroendocrine foundations of postpartum depression. We outline current treatment modalities and their limitations, and proceed to evaluate the potential role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression. The aim of the present review is twofold: (a) to bring together evidence from animal and human research concerning the role of oxytocin in postpartum depression, and (b) to highlight areas that deserve further research in order to bring a fuller understanding of oxytocin's therapeutic potential. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Topics: Animals; Depression, Postpartum; Female; Humans; Maternal Behavior; Oxytocin; Psychotropic Drugs
PubMed: 24239932
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.11.009 -
Communications Biology Feb 2020Oxytocin, a nonapeptide hormone, has a key role in female reproductive functions as well as in social memory in the brain. In our recent article, we reported that... (Review)
Review
Oxytocin, a nonapeptide hormone, has a key role in female reproductive functions as well as in social memory in the brain. In our recent article, we reported that oxytocin is transported from the peripheral blood into the brain by the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) in endothelial cells at the blood−brain barrier. Additionally, we found that oral oxytocin is absorbed by RAGE on intestinal epithelial cells at the blood−intestinal barrier. From a physiological perspective, we herein outline the continuing research regarding oxytocin and social behaviour.
Topics: Animals; Blood-Brain Barrier; Brain; Female; Humans; Oxytocin; Pregnancy; Protein Transport; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products
PubMed: 32054984
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0799-2