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BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Oct 1994
Topics: Animals; Humans; Oxytocin; Rats; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Behavior, Animal
PubMed: 7950649
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.309.6959.891 -
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 -
Journal of Neuroendocrinology Feb 2014We recently demonstrated a direct action of oxytocin (OT) on skeletal homeostasis, mainly mediated through stimulation of osteoblasts (OBs) formation and through the... (Review)
Review
We recently demonstrated a direct action of oxytocin (OT) on skeletal homeostasis, mainly mediated through stimulation of osteoblasts (OBs) formation and through the reciprocal modulation of osteoclast (OCs) formation and function. Thus, mice lacking the hormone or its receptor develop a low turnover osteoporosis that worsens with age in both sexes. The skeletons of OT (Ot) and OT receptor (Oxtr) null mice display a pronounced decrease in vertebral and femoral trabecular volume. At the cellular level, OBs from Ot KO and Oxtr KO mice exhibit lower mineralization activity and, at the mRNA level, all master genes for osteoblast differentiation are down-regulated. Moreover, OT has dual effects on OCs: it increases osteoclast formation both directly, by activating nuclear factor kB (NFkB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling and, indirectly, through the up-regulation of receptor activator nuclear factor-kappaB ligand synthesis by OBs. On the other hand, it inhibits bone resorption by triggering cytosolic Ca(2+) release and nitric oxide synthesis in mature OCs. OT is locally produced by osteoblasts acting as paracrine-autocrine regulators of bone formation modulated by oestrogens. The oestrogen signal involved in this feedforward circuit is nongenomic because it requires an intact MAPK kinase signal transduction pathway, instead of the classical nuclear translocation of oestrogen receptor. The ability of oestrogen to increase bone mass in vivo is to some extent OXTR-dependent. Thus, Oxtr KO mice injected 17β-oestradiol did not show any effects on bone formation parameters, whereas the same treatment increases trabecular and cortical bone in wild-type mice. An intact OT autocrine-paracrine circuit appears to be essential for optimal skeletal remodelling.
Topics: Animals; Bone and Bones; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Oxytocin; Receptors, Oxytocin
PubMed: 24219627
DOI: 10.1111/jne.12120 -
TheScientificWorldJournal 2012Little is known about the biopsychological underpinnings of expert performance in team sports. In this paper we show that there is a vast support for oxytocin as a... (Review)
Review
Little is known about the biopsychological underpinnings of expert performance in team sports. In this paper we show that there is a vast support for oxytocin as a neuropeptide involved in the encouragement of important processes linked to greater team performance in sport. We argue that oxytocin is related to biopsychological processes aimed at convergence of emotions and moods between people, and in doing so it is a critical neuropeptide involved in the shaping of important team processes in sport such as trust, generosity, altruism, cohesion, cooperation, and social motivation, and also envy and gloating. Future research should examine the role of oxytocin in these essential components of sport performance. In particular, the link between oxytocin, emotional contagion and the cultivation of experiences of positive emotions is a worthwhile line of investigation for sport participation and development as well as high performance in sport.
Topics: Administration, Intranasal; Altruism; Athletic Performance; Cooperative Behavior; Emotions; Empathy; Humans; Motivation; Oxytocin; Psychomotor Performance; Sports; Trust
PubMed: 22997498
DOI: 10.1100/2012/567363 -
British Medical Journal Mar 1972
Topics: Abortion, Induced; Adult; Drug Synergism; Female; Humans; Muscle Contraction; Oxytocin; Pregnancy; Prostaglandins; Uterus
PubMed: 5015335
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.1.5802.747-a -
Psychoneuroendocrinology Sep 2019Since its discovery more than a century ago, oxytocin has become one of the most intensively studied molecules in behavioral biology. In the last five years,... (Review)
Review
Since its discovery more than a century ago, oxytocin has become one of the most intensively studied molecules in behavioral biology. In the last five years, Psychoneuroendocrinology has published more than 500 articles with oxytocin in the title, with many of these articles including measures of endogenous oxytocin concentrations. Despite longstanding interest, methods of measuring endogenous oxytocin are still in active development. The widely varying oxytocin concentrations detected by different approaches to measurement - and lack of correlation among these techniques - has led to controversy and confusion. We identify features of oxytocin that may help to explain why various approaches may be differentially sensitive to diverse conformational states of the oxytocin molecule. We propose that discrepancies in data generated by different methods of measurement are not necessarily an indicator that some methods are valid whereas others are not. Rather, we propose that current challenges in the measurement of oxytocin may be analogous to the parable of the blind men and the elephant, with different methods of sample preparation and measurement being sensitive to different states in which the oxytocin molecule can exist.
Topics: Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Humans; Immunoassay; Oxytocin; Reproducibility of Results; Specimen Handling; Vasopressins
PubMed: 31163380
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.018 -
Current Topics in Behavioral... 2018In this chapter, we introduce a new area of social pharmacology that encompasses the study of the role of neuromodulators in modulating a wide range of social behaviors... (Review)
Review
In this chapter, we introduce a new area of social pharmacology that encompasses the study of the role of neuromodulators in modulating a wide range of social behaviors and brain function, with the interplay of genetic and epigenetic factors. There are increasing evidences for the role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in modulating a wide range of social behaviors, in reducing anxiety, and in impacting the social brain network. Oxytocin also promotes social functions in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and reduces anxiety and fear in anxiety disorders. In this chapter, we will emphasize the importance of integrating basic research and clinical human research in determining optimal strategies for drug discoveries for social dysfunctions and anxiety disorders. We will highlight the significance of adopting a precision medicine approach to optimize targeted treatments with oxytocin in neuropsychiatry. Oxytocin effects on social behavior and brain function can vary from one individual to another based on external factors, such as heterogeneity in autism phenotype, childhood experiences, personality, attachment style, and oxytocin receptor polymorphisms. Hence, targeted therapies for subgroups of patients can help alleviating some of the core symptoms and lead to a better future for these patients and their families.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Autistic Disorder; Brain; Clinical Trials as Topic; Fear; Humans; Oxytocin; Precision Medicine; Social Behavior
PubMed: 28812273
DOI: 10.1007/7854_2017_29 -
CNS Drugs Mar 2016Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous, debilitating disorder characterized by three distinct sets of clinical features: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive... (Review)
Review
Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous, debilitating disorder characterized by three distinct sets of clinical features: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive deficits. Extant antipsychotic drugs have been most successful at treating the positive symptoms of patients with schizophrenia but have minimal therapeutic effects on negative symptoms and cognitive deficits, which are the symptoms that best predict the poor prognosis of these patients. Therefore, there has been a major effort towards identifying compounds that alleviate these symptoms. Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide that regulates peripheral reproductive-relevant functions, and also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Converging evidence from both preclinical and clinical research suggests that OT may have therapeutic efficacy for the positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. In the majority of the small, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials conducted to date, OT has shown particular promise in its potential to treat the intractable negative symptoms and social cognitive deficits exhibited by most of the patients with this debilitating disorder. In this leading article, we summarize the clinical evidence relevant to (1) endogenous OT and schizophrenia, and (2) the putative therapeutic effects of OT on each of the three clinical domains.
Topics: Animals; Antipsychotic Agents; Brain; Cognition Disorders; Humans; Oxytocin; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Psychology
PubMed: 26895254
DOI: 10.1007/s40263-016-0315-x -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2021Schizophrenia is a form of mental disorder that is behaviorally characterized by abnormal behavior, such as social function deficits or other behaviors that are... (Review)
Review
Schizophrenia is a form of mental disorder that is behaviorally characterized by abnormal behavior, such as social function deficits or other behaviors that are disconnected from reality. Dysregulation of oxytocin may play a role in regulating the expression of schizophrenia. Given oxytocin's role in social cognition and behavior, a variety of studies have examined the potential clinical benefits of oxytocin in improving the psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia. In this review, we highlight the evidence for the role of endogenous oxytocin in schizophrenia, from animal models to human studies. We further discuss the potential of oxytocin as a therapeutic agent for schizophrenia and its implication in future treatment.
Topics: Animals; Behavior; Cognition; Humans; Oxytocin; Polymorphism, Genetic; Receptors, Oxytocin; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 33670047
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042146 -
Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Dec 2000Oxytocin, a nonapeptide hormone and neurotransmitter, is expressed in a variety of tissues, as are its receptors. In vivo, oxytocin acts as a paracrine and/or autocrine... (Review)
Review
Oxytocin, a nonapeptide hormone and neurotransmitter, is expressed in a variety of tissues, as are its receptors. In vivo, oxytocin acts as a paracrine and/or autocrine mediator of multiple biological effects. These effects are exerted primarily through interactions with G-protein-coupled oxytocin/vasopressin receptors, which, via G(q) and G(i), stimulate phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides. It is generally recognized that, during pregnancy, oxytocin plays a major role in increasing myometrial contractility at term, and that it acts on its cardiac receptor to decrease the cardiac rate and force of contraction. It is, however, doubtful that increased endocrine oxytocin concentration is involved in the onset and progression of normal human labor.
Topics: Female; Gene Expression; Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins; Humans; Myocardial Contraction; Oxytocin; Pregnancy; Receptors, Oxytocin; Signal Transduction; Uterine Contraction
PubMed: 11136546
DOI: 10.1006/mgme.2000.3094