Study summary · research use only
The interplay of oxytocin and sex hormones
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review discusses the interaction of oxytocin with sex hormones in humans, describing oxytocin's roles beyond reproduction and maternal behavior. The authors note that intervention studies using intranasally administered oxytocin have produced inconsistent results, and that proposed explanations have focused on methodological issues such as study design. The review presents a thematic analysis, from evolutionary, developmental, mechanistic, and survival perspectives, of how oxytocin interacts with sex hormones including estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone. The authors suggest that sex hormone activity contributes to oxytocin's diverse roles by modulating oxytocin release and receptor activity, and that this interaction may contribute to variability in outcomes reported after oxytocin administration.
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has historically been associated with reproduction and maternal behavior. However, more recent research has uncovered that oxytocin has a much wider range of roles in physiology and behavior. Despite the excitement surrounding potential therapeutical applications of intranasally administered oxytocin, the results of these intervention studies have been inconsistent. Various reasons for these mixed results have been proposed, which tend to focus on methodological issues, such as study design. While methodological issues are certainly important, emerging evidence suggests that the interaction between oxytocin and sex hormones may also account for these varied findings. To better understand the purpose and function of the interaction of oxytocin with sex hormones, with a focus on estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone, we conducted a comprehensive thematic review via four perspectives: evolutionary, developmental, mechanistic, and survival. Altogether, this synergistic approach highlights the critical function of sex hormone activity for accomplishing the diverse roles of oxytocin via the modulation of oxytocin release and oxytocin receptor activity, which is also likely to contribute to the heterogeneity of outcomes after oxytocin administration.
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