Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Although cocaine abuse during human pregnancy is associated with an increased incidence of preterm labor, there are few reports on the effects of cocaine on myometrial activity during pregnancy in experimental animals. Cocaine (0.5, 1, or 2 mg/kg) or vehicle was randomly administered intravenously to 15 pregnant ewes between 124-146 days' gestation (term is 147 days). Neither cocaine nor vehicle administration altered total myometrial electromyographic activity from pre-dose levels 1 or 6 hours after administration. Maternal arterial plasma oxytocin did not change during the study. Using a positive control, we confirmed observations of other investigators that administration of 2 mg/kg cocaine significantly increases maternal arterial blood pressure. The results indicate that cocaine does not stimulate myometrial contractility significantly in late pregnancy in sheep.
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PMID:Lack of effect of maternal cocaine administration on myometrial electromyogram and maternal plasma oxytocin concentrations in pregnant sheep at 124-146 days' gestational age. 172 92

Neuropeptides affect adaptive central nervous system processes related to opiate ethanol and cocaine addiction. Oxytocin (OXT), a neurohypophyseal neuropeptide synthesized in the brain and released at the posterior pituitary, also is released in the central nervous system (CNS). OXT acts within the CNS and has been shown to inhibit the development of tolerance to morphine, and to attenuate various symptoms of morphine withdrawal in mice. In rats, intravenous self-administration of heroin was potently decreased by OXT treatment. In relation to cocaine abuse, OXT dose-dependently decreased cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion and stereotyped grooming behavior. Following chronic cocaine treatment, the behavioral tolerance to the sniffing-inducing effect of cocaine was markedly inhibited by OXT. Behavioral sensitization to cocaine, on the other hand, was facilitated by OXT. OXT receptors in the CNS--mainly those located in limbic and basal forebrain structures--are responsible for mediating various effects of OXT in the opiate- and cocaine-addicted organism. Dopaminergic neurotransmission--primarily in basal forebrain structures--is another important biochemical mediator of the central nervous system effects of OXT. Tolerance to ethanol (e.g. hypothermia-inducing effect of ethanol) also was inhibited by OXT.
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PMID:Oxytocin and addiction: a review. 992 46

Maternal cocaine addiction is a significant public health issue particularly affecting children, with high rates of reported abuse, neglect, and foster care placement. This review examines both preclinical and clinical evidence for how cocaine abuse may affect maternal care and infant development, exploring brain, behavioral, and neuroendocrine mechanisms. There is evidence that cocaine affects infant development both directly, via in utero exposure, and indirectly via alterations in maternal care. Two neural systems known to play an important role in both maternal care and cocaine addiction are the oxytocin and dopamine systems, mediating social and reward-related behaviors and stress reactivity. These same neural mechanisms may also be involved in the infant's development of vulnerability to addiction. Understanding the neuroendocrine pathways involved in maternal behavior and addiction may help facilitate earlier, more effective interventions to help substance-abusing mothers provide adequate care for their infant and perhaps prevent the intergenerational transmission of risk.
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PMID:Cocaine addiction in mothers: potential effects on maternal care and infant development. 2020 53

Although the disruptive effects of cocaine on the maternal care are well known, little is known about paternal care in the context of cocaine abuse. Vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) and dopamine (DA) have been found to regulate paternal behavior and are also involved in cocaine abuse. Mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) are socially monogamous and display high levels of paternal care. Here, we investigated whether paternal behavior and associated central levels of AVP, OT and DA were altered following 24 h of withdrawal from 4 day administration of 20 mg/kg/day cocaine. Our data shows that vole fathers did not experience altered levels of locomotion during an open field test. However, compared to controls, cocaine attenuated licking/grooming and contact behavior and shortened the latency to crouching, contact and pup retrieval. Last, fewer AVP and OT immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus and more tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons in the ventral tegmental area were observed in cocaine-treated fathers. These results indicate that cocaine withdrawal disturbs the expression of partial paternal behavior by altering central levels of AVP, OT and DA.
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PMID:Cocaine withdrawal influences paternal behavior and associated central expression of vasopressin, oxytocin and tyrosine hydroxylase in mandarin voles. 2423 15