Oxytocin, a neurohypophyseal hormone, has been traditionally considered essential for mammalian reproduction. In addition to uterine contractions during labor and milk ejection during nursing, oxytocin has been implicated in anterior pituitary function, paracrine effects in the testis and ovary and the neural control of maternal and sexual behaviors. To determine the essential role(s) of oxytoc...

s | 39 Abstract Oxytocin has been proposed as a potential treatment approach in drug addiction, but little is known about the effects of oxytocin in translationally relevant models of addiction or the neurobiological substrates of the actions of oxytocin. This presentation highlights the ability of oxytocin to reduce drug taking and drug seeking in a rat model of methamphetamine (meth) addictio...

INTRODUCTION: Various studies indicate that decreased oxytocin is involved as a mechanism of delayed ejaculation induced by SSRIs. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate and compare sexual dysfunction and oxytocin levels in women being treated with either fluoxetine or citalopram. METHODS: Thirty-nine women with the diagnoses of major depressive disorder were enrolled in the study. ...

INTRODUCTION: Various studies indicate that decreased oxytocin is involved as a mechanism of delayed ejaculation induced by SSRIs. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate and compare sexual dysfunction and oxytocin levels in women being treated with either fluoxetine or citalopram. METHODS: Thirty-nine women with the diagnoses of major depressive disorder were enrolled in the study. ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the lowest effective bolus dose of oxytocin to produce adequate uterine tone (UT) during elective Caesarean delivery (CD). METHODS Seventy-five pregnant patients undergoing elective CD under spinal anaesthesia were randomized to receive oxytocin (0.5, 1, 3, 5 units) or placebo. UT was assessed by a blinded obstetrician as either adequate or in...

Oxytocin has a modulatory role in natural and drug reward processes. While the role of oxytocin in pair bonding and reproduction has been extensively studied, sex differences in conditioned and unconditioned behavioral responses to oxytocin treatment have not been fully characterized. Here, we determined whether male and female rats would show similar dose response curves in response to acute o...

BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with genetic risk on the oxytocin system, suggesting oxytocin involvement in ASD; yet oxytocin functioning in young children with ASD is unknown. AIMS To assess baseline oxytocin in pre-schoolers with ASD and test whether oxytocin production may be enhanced by parent-child contact. METHOD Forty pre-schoolers with high-functioning ASD w...

Cervical stimulation induces two daily rhythmic prolactin surges, nocturnal and diurnal, which persist for several days. We have shown that a bolus injection of oxytocin initiates a similar prolactin rhythm, which persists despite low levels of oxytocin after injection. This suggests that oxytocin may trigger the cervical stimulation-induced rhythmic prolactin surges. To investigate this hypoth...

BACKGROUND Oxytocin is released in response to a meal. Further, mRNA for oxytocin and its receptor have been found throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The aim of this study was therefore to examine whether oxytocin, or the receptor antagonist atosiban, influence the gastric emptying. METHODS Ten healthy volunteers (five men) were examined regarding gastric emptying at three different ...