Oxytocin: An Old Hormone, a Novel Psychotropic Drug and its Possible Use in Treating Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Background: Oxytocin is a nonapeptide synthesized in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Historically, this molecule has been involved as a key factor in the formation of infant attachment, maternal behavior and pair bonding and, more generally, in linking social signals with cognition, behaviors and reward. In the last decades, the whole oxytocin system has gained a growing interest as it was proposed to be implicated in etiopathogenesis of several neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Methods: With the main goal of an in-depth understanding of the oxytocin role in the regulation of different functions and complex behaviors as well as its intriguing implications in different neuropsychiatric disorders, we performed a critical review of the current state of art. We carried out this work through PubMed database up to June 2021 with the search terms: 1) “oxytocin and neuropsychiatric disorders”; 2) “oxytocin and neurodevelopmental disorders”; 3) “oxytocin and anorexia”; 4) “oxytocin and eating disorders”; 5) “oxytocin and obsessive-compulsive disorder”; 6) “oxytocin and schizophrenia”; 7) “oxytocin and depression”; 8) “oxytocin and bipolar disorder”; 9) “oxytocin and psychosis”; 10) “oxytocin and anxiety”; 11) “oxytocin and personality disorder”; 12) “oxytocin and PTSD”. Results: Biological, genetic, and epigenetic studies highlighted quality and quantity modifications in the expression of oxytocin peptide or in oxytocin receptor isoforms. These alterations would seem to be correlated with a higher risk of presenting several neuropsychiatric disorders belonging to different psychopathological spectra. Collaterally, the exogenous oxytocin administration has shown to ameliorate many neuropsychiatric clinical conditions. Conclusion: Finally, we briefly analyzed the potential pharmacological use of oxytocin in patient with severe symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and immunoregulatory properties.

Zika virus infection leads to hormone deficiencies of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and diminished fertility in mice

“…Oxytocin secreted by the hypothalamus can regulate social behavior ( 26 , 27 ). To determine whether ZIKV infection affects oxytocin production, we used immunostaining for oxytocin.…”

“…In this study, we detected the presence of ZIKV in the hypothalamus, which was consistent with our previous study ( 18 , 37 ). As the center of the neuroendocrine system, the hypothalamus can release hormones to regulate various important physiological processes, such as GnRH regulating reproductive development via the HPG axis ( 38 ) and oxytocin regulating social behaviors ( 26 , 27 ). Both GnRH and oxytocin secreted by the hypothalamus were significantly reduced in ZIKV-infected mice, which was highly correlated with persistent damage of ZIKV infection.…”

The impact of oxytocin on emotion recognition and trust: Does disordered eating moderate these relationships?

“…One treatment option that has been investigated to address psychiatric difficulties is the administration of oxytocin [24]. Oxytocin is a bonding hormone that has an important role in linking social signals with cognitions and behaviours [25]. Research has indicated that an intranasal oxytocin administration improved emotion recognition and/or state anxiety in healthy individuals [26][27][28][29]; and in individuals with social cognitive deficits including autism [30], social anxiety [31], schizophrenia [32] and eating disorders [33,34].…”

Novel Pharmacological Targets of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders

“…As reviewed above, the drugs used in PTSD are mainly symptomatic or derived from limited biological abnormalities reported in the patients; this clearly reflects the lack of comprehensive knowledge of the pathophysiology of the disorder. Indeed, current research suggests that PTSD may result from impairments in fear extinction, an increase in generalized anxiety, and a negative bias toward perceiving threats from neutral inputs and feeling danger in secure settings that are also thought to be due to different neurochemical abnormalities [ 12 , 15 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. In any case, the mechanisms underlying these altered processes are not totally understood.…”

“…Oxytocin (OT) is a pleiotropic hormone produced in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream through the posterior pituitary gland and into the brain through several pathways [ 99 ]. Oxytocin seems to promote social interactions between conspecifics, attachment, and pair-bonding, and it also exhibits anti-inflammatory properties as a powerful immune and stress system modulator, beyond its “classical” activities, such as uterine contractions during labor and milk production [ 45 , 101 , 102 ] ( Figure 3 ).…”