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oxytocin (isoleucyl/leucyl vasopressin)

Function: - induces labor - mediates excitatory-inhibitory shift of GABA receptors during delivery [4] - facilitates the sensation of social stress [3] - higher plamsa levels are associated with better social functioning [5] - enhances fear extinction by upregulating the medial prefrontal cortex inhibition of fear responses in the amygdala [2]

Related

oxytocin receptor; OT-R (OXTR) oxytocin-neurophysin 1; OT-NPI; contains: oxytocin; neurophysin 1 (OXT, OT)

Specific

pitocin (oxytocin, Syntocinon)

General

vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone, ADH)

Properties

COMPARTMENT: plasma MISC-INFO: elimination route LIVER KIDNEY safety in lactation ?

References

  1. The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed. Gilman et al, eds. Permagon Press/McGraw Hill, 1996
  2. Eckstein M et al. Oxytocin facilitates the extinction of conditioned fear in humans. Biol Psychiatry 2014 Oct 29 PMID: 25542304 http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223%2814%2900795-1/abstract
  3. Eckstein M, Scheele D, Weber K et al Oxytocin facilitates the sensation of social stress. Hum Brain Mapp. 2014 Sep;35(9):4741-50 PMID: 24659430
  4. Tyzio R et al. Oxytocin-mediated GABA inhibition during delivery attenuates autism pathogenesis in rodent offspring. Science 2014 Feb 7; 343:675 PMID: 24503856 http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6171/620
  5. Geller B Does Oxytocin Improve Autism? Physician's First Watch, Nov 16, 2015 David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief Massachusetts Medical Society http://www.jwatch.org - Parker KJ, Garner JP, Libove RA et al Plasma oxytocin concentrations and OXTR polymorphisms predict social impairments in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Aug 19;111(33):12258-63 PMID: 25092315