Study summary · research use only
Complexity of the Hypothalamic Oxytocin System and its Involvement in Brain Functions and Diseases
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review discusses the hypothalamic oxytocin system (no specific species stated) and its involvement in brain functions and diseases. Oxytocin is described as a 'prosocial neuropeptide' synthesized mainly by hypothalamic oxytocin neurons, signaling through oxytocin receptors (OxtRs) via anatomically widespread axonal projections and broadly distributed receptors. The review states that oxytocin signaling dysfunction is closely linked to brain disorders, and that intranasal oxytocin administration has been examined as one strategy to address disorders such as autism, obesity, and anxiety, though clinical outcomes have been conflicting. The review summarizes current understanding of the oxytocin system's anatomy, neuronal modulation, and signal pathways, and discusses its roles in social, feeding, emotional, and sensory-related brain functions and diseases.
Abstract
Oxytocin is classically termed a 'prosocial neuropeptide' because of its evolutionarily conserved role in promoting affiliative behaviors. Endogenous oxytocin is mainly synthesized by hypothalamic oxytocin neurons and signals through oxytocin receptors (OxtRs). Recent studies with cell type-specific and circuit-specific interrogation have uncovered that oxytocin signals exert pleiotropic neuromodulatory effects through anatomically widespread axonal projections and ubiquitously distributed OxtRs. Dysfunctions of oxytocin signals are closely relevant to brain disorders/diseases. While intranasal oxytocin administration has been demonstrated to be one potential strategy to alleviate some brain disorders/diseases, such as autism, obesity, and anxiety, conflicting clinical outcomes highlight the imperative for precision-targeted neuromodulation strategies. Dissecting the molecular, cellular, and neural circuitry mechanisms underlying oxytocinergic modulation is a prerequisite to achieving this goal. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the oxytocin system in terms of anatomical structure, neuronal modulation, and signal pathways, and discusses the modulatory roles of oxytocin in social, feeding, emotional, and sensory-related brain functions and brain diseases.
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