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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Labour at term and preterm results from activation and then stimulation of the myometrium. Activation can occur through mechanical stretch of the uterus, and by endocrine pathways resulting from increased activity of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In women and in experimental animals, cortisol likely contributes to increased prostaglandin production in fetal tissues through up-regulation of the type 2 prostaglandin H2, synthase-2 (PGHS-2) and down-regulation of 15-OH prostaglandin dehydrogenase. Cortisol increases expression of prostaglandin dehydrogenase in the chorion by reversing the stimulatory effect of progesterone, and may represent "progesterone withdrawal" in the primate. By competing with progesterone inhibition, cortisol also increases expression of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone. Other agents, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines, similarly up-regulate PGHS-2 and decrease expression of prostaglandin dehydrogenase. Oxytocin, produced locally within the intrauterine tissues, is also thought to be involved in parturition, and there is a marked increase in oxytocin receptor expression at term. There are thus several mechanisms by which labour at term or preterm may be initiated. These different mechanisms need to be considered in the development of strategies for the detection and management of women in preterm labour. Ongoing studies are investigating the use of oxytocin receptor antagonists, PGHS-2 inhibitors, and nitric oxide to prevent or regulate preterm labour. The presence of fibronectin in vaginal secretions, and elevated maternal serum levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone, estrogens, and cytokines have been examined as possible markers of preterm labour. However, at the present time, we do not have the ability to accurately predict or diagnose preterm labour, nor do we have specific or efficient methods to inhibit labour once it has started.
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PMID:Mechanisms of term and preterm birth. 1241

Consistent, individual differences in the expression of maternal behaviour have been described in several species including the sheep. The neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying the onset of maternal behaviour in the sheep have been described, although the relationship between hormonal events and individual differences in behaviour has yet to be determined. In this study, we examined whether the individual differences in plasma estradiol, progesterone, oxytocin and cortisol concentrations were related to observed individual and breed differences in maternal behaviours in two breeds of sheep (Scottish Blackface and Suffolk) known to differ in maternal behavioural expression. Maternal estradiol concentration increased rapidly before parturition and was higher in Blackface ewes than Suffolk ewes. Plasma progesterone declined before parturition and was higher in Suffolk than Blackface ewes. Prepartum estradiol, but not progesterone, was related to individual differences in maternal grooming of the lamb. Plasma oxytocin did not differ between breeds in late gestation. There was a tendency for oxytocin to be higher in Blackface than Suffolk ewes immediately after birth. However, there were no significant relationships between prepartum or postpartum oxytocin and any maternal behaviours. Plasma cortisol was higher in Blackface than Suffolk ewes in the last days of pregnancy but rose in both breeds over the last 24 h before parturition and did not differ at delivery. Cortisol peripartum was negatively related to individual differences in maternal affiliative behaviours. These data suggest that estradiol, and potentially cortisol, may mediate individual differences in maternal behaviour in sheep.
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PMID:Prepartum plasma estradiol and postpartum cortisol, but not oxytocin, are associated with interindividual and breed differences in the expression of maternal behaviour in sheep. 1555 94

The present study was designed to determine the short-term effects of alcohol consumption on hormonal responses and mood states in nulliparous women who have regular menstrual cycles. To this aim, we conducted a within-subjects design study in which eight women consumed a 0.4-g/kg dose of alcohol in orange juice during one test session (alcohol condition) and an equal volume of orange juice (control condition) during the other. Changes in plasma prolactin, oxytocin and cortisol levels, blood alcohol concentrations (BACs), and mood states were compared. BAC peaked at approximately 36.7+5.4 min after the consumption of the alcoholic beverage and decreased thereafter. Alcohol consumption significantly increased the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of prolactin (P<.01) and decreased the oxytocin AUC (P=.04) when compared to the control condition. Cortisol AUCs were not different across the two experimental conditions. Similar to that previously observed in lactating women, changes in prolactin and oxytocin paralleled changes in feelings of drunkenness. The magnitude and persistence of the alcohol-induced hormonal changes in nulliparous women were significantly less pronounced than those observed in lactating women, further highlighting the dynamics of the system under study during lactation.
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PMID:Short-term effects of alcohol consumption on the hormonal milieu and mood states in nulliparous women. 1676 89

In the present study we investigated the effects of cortisol administration on EEG activity in eight healthy volunteers. We administered 35 mg of cortisol in a within-subjects double-blind placebo-controlled design. Cortisol administration caused a global decrease in cortical activity except for an increase frontally at the left, resulting in a significant change in frontal asymmetry. This pattern of results is almost the exact mirror image of one of our previous studies. Comparing subjective activation measures from the present and previous study showed that activation was substantially higher in the present study that was performed in formal testing conditions involving venipuncture, compared to the previous EEG study that was performed in non-formal testing conditions. However, the direction of the present cortisolinduced change in frontal activity asymmetry is consistent with the cortisolinduced change in asymmetric rotation behavior that we recently reported in similar testing conditions. We also found indications that, in contrast to the effects on the EEG measures, effects of cortisol administration on subjective anxiety and plasma oxytocin levels may be sex-dependent. These results are preliminary because of the post-hoc nature and the small number of subjects in the present study. However, they are in line with recent findings by others, suggesting that the effects of cortisol on cortical activity and subjective activation are state dependent and are influenced by testing conditions.
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PMID:State-dependent regulation of cortical activity by cortisol: an EEG study. 1682 13

The present study was undertaken to produce a detailed specification of a programme of massage, controlled breathing and visualization performed regularly by birth partners, from 36 weeks gestation and assisted by a trained professional, following hospital admission during labour and birth. As current research on massage interventions for pain relief in labour is poorly characterized, we began by undertaking a feasibility study on an established massage programme [Goldstone LA. Massage as an orthodox medical treatment past and future. Complementary Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery. 2000;6:169-75]. The intervention was designed in light of experimental findings that repeated massage sessions over 14 days increases pain threshold, by an interaction between oxytocin and opioid neurons [Lund I, Yu L-C, Uvnas-Moberg K, Wang J, Yu C, Kurosawa M, et al. Repeated massage-like stimulation induces long-term effects on nociception: contribution of oxytocinergic mechanisms. European Journal of Neuroscience 2002;16:330-8]. A 4 week time-frame was selected to coincide with a physiological increase in maternal pain threshold [Cogan R, Spinnato JA. Pain and Discomfort Thresholds in Late Pregnancy. Pain 1986;27:63-8, Whipple B, Josimovich JB, Komisaruk BR. Sensory thresholds during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. International Journal of Nursing Studies 1990;27(3):213-21, Gintzler AR, Komisaruk BR. Analgesia is produced by uterocervical mechano-stimulation in rats: roles of afferent nerves and implications for analgesia of pregnancy and parturition. Brain Research 1991;566:299-302, Gintzler AR, Liu N-J. The maternal spinal cord: biochemical and physiological correlates of steroid-activated antinociceptive processes. In: Russell JA, Douglas AJ, Windle RJ, Ingram CD, editors., Progress in Brain Research. Volume 133. The Maternal Brain. Neurobiological and Neuroendocrine adaptation and disorders in pregnancy and postpartum. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, 2001. p. 83-97]. The main objective was to measure the effects of the programme on maternal pain perception during labour and birth. To detect any effect of massage during labour, on maternal cortisol and catecholamines, cord venous blood was taken to measure plasma concentrations following birth. Twenty-five nulliparous (N) and 10 multiparous (M) women participated in the study. Cortisol values were similar to published studies following labour without massage but pain scores on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), at 90min following birth were significantly lower than scores recorded 2 days postpartum [Capogna G, Alahuhta S, Celleno D, De Vlieger H, Moreira J, Morgan B, et al. Maternal expectations and experiences of labour pain and analgesia: a multi-centre study of nulliparous women. International Journal of Obstetric Anaesthesia 1996;5:229-35]. The mean score was 6.6. Previous studies suggest that a reduction from 8.5 to 7.5 would significantly reduce pharmacological analgesia in labour [Capogna G, Alahuhta S, Celleno D, De Vlieger H, Moreira J, Morgan B, et al. Maternal expectations and experiences of labour pain and analgesia: a multi-centre study of nulliparous women. International Journal of Obstetric Anaesthesia 1996;5:229-35].
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PMID:Does regular massage from late pregnancy to birth decrease maternal pain perception during labour and birth?--A feasibility study to investigate a programme of massage, controlled breathing and visualization, from 36 weeks of pregnancy until birth. 1683 35

A non-invasive assay for measurement of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) in primates would enable researchers to study the relationship between the endocrine system and behavior without disturbing potentially endangered animals in their natural habitats. In order to test whether or not OT specifically would be measurable in the urine of a primate, 10 microCi of tritium-labeled OT were injected into the peripheral blood supply of four adult male common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), with continuous urinary collection over 48 h. When urine was processed by HPLC separation and beta counting for radioactive clearance, the label was present in all samples in the fraction where OT elutes. Large amounts of OT were also seen in a fraction other than that containing the OT standard, indicating that OT is measurable but that it also undergoes substantial metabolic breakdown. In a second experiment, we isolated six common marmosets for 48 h and then exposed them to social contact to evaluate the effect of changing social stimuli on endogenous urinary measurement of both OT and AVP. Both were measured after HPLC separation to isolate the intact molecule and also to control for cross-reactivity with metabolites in subsequent RIA. Cortisol was also measured to objectively evaluate the stress response. A priori assumptions were that urinary OT and AVP would be lower during a period of isolation and higher during periods of social contact. These assumptions were met, leading us to conclude that peripheral OT and AVP are measurable via urinary assay and that such an assay is a valid means of evaluating social condition in this species.
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PMID:Non-invasive measurement of small peptides in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): a radiolabeled clearance study and endogenous excretion under varying social conditions. 1729 69

To determine whether glucocorticoids (GCs) play a role in regulating uterine function in cow, the present study examined the expression of mRNA encoding GC receptor (GC-R) alpha, 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11-HSD) type 1 and type 2, and the activity of 11-HSD1 in bovine endometrial tissue throughout the estrous cycle. We also studied the effects of cortisol on basal, oxytocin (OT)- and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-stimulated prostaglandin (PG) production. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that GC-Ralpha mRNA was expressed more strongly in the mid-luteal stage (days 8-12) than in the other stages. In contrast to GC-Ralpha mRNA expression, 11-HSD1 mRNA expression was greater in the follicular stage than in the other stages, whereas 11-HSD2 mRNA expression was lowest in the follicular stage. The activity of 11-HSD1 was greater in the follicular stage and estrus than in the other stages and was lowest in the mid-luteal stage. Cortisone was dose-dependently converted to cortisol in the cultured endometrial tissue. Although cortisol did not affect either the basal or OT-stimulated production of PGs in the cultured epithelial cells, the production of PGs stimulated by TNFalpha in the stromal cells was suppressed by cortisol (P < 0.05). Cortisol suppressed basal prostaglandin (PG)F2alpha without affecting basal PGE2 production in the stromal cells. The overall results suggest that the level of cortisol is locally regulated in bovine endometrium throughout the estrous cycle by 11-HSD1, and that cortisol could act as a luteoprotective factor by selectively suppressing luteolytic PGF2alpha production in bovine endometrium.
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PMID:The role of glucocorticoid in the regulation of prostaglandin biosynthesis in non-pregnant bovine endometrium. 1740 Aug 10

There are several different milking management systems in Latin America, because Gir cattle are reputed to be easily stressed and not well adapted to machine-milking. This paper, therefore, provides an overview of hormone release and behavior during suckling and milking in Gir cows and their cross-bred offspring. Several experiments were performed to study oxytocin release during exclusive suckling or exclusive hand- and machine-milking, oxytocin, and prolactin release during a mixed suckling-milking system and oxytocin release after weaning. Cortisol concentrations and behavior were also examined. Concentration of oxytocin, released during suckling, and both types of milking were high, but the maximum concentration measured during suckling was significantly greater than that observed during exclusive milking. In the mixed suckling-milking system, the greatest oxytocin and prolactin releases were measured during suckling. Cortisol concentrations measured before, during, and after milking demonstrated that Gir x Holstein and Holstein cows were not stressed. On the other hand, although Gir had greater concentrations of cortisol, the percentage of residual milk for Gir cows was less than for dairy cows exposed to different stressful situations. In general, Gir cows and their crossbred offspring adapted to machine-milking, although these breeds can react negatively to milkers. Gir, Gir x Holstein, and Holstein cows all had similar cortisol levels during and after milking.
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PMID:Hormone release and behavior during suckling and milking in Gir, Gir x Holstein, and Holstein cows. 1787 78

Despite extensive research on the involvement of oxytocin (OT) in mammalian bonding, less is known about its role in human social affiliation across the life cycle. Forty-five romantically unattached young adults participated. Plasma oxytocin and salivary cortisol were assessed using enzyme immuno-assay, and self-report measures of bonding, attachment, anxiety, and depression were collected. Oxytocin was associated with bonding to own parents and inversely related to psychological distress, particularly depressive symptoms. Cortisol was related to attachment anxiety. Regression analysis indicated that the adult's representations of bonding to parents predicted OT levels above and beyond cortisol, psychological distress, and attachment. Findings are consistent with antistress models of oxytocin and suggest that oxytocin may play a role in bonding-related cognitions across the life span.
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PMID:Oxytocin and cortisol in romantically unattached young adults: associations with bonding and psychological distress. 1826 3

Goats are often kept on small farms where they suckle kids and are hand milked for human consumption. Our first objective was to investigate whether vasopressin secretion increases together with oxytocin during hand milking and suckling in seven goats 6-8 weeks after parturition. Four goats suckled and three were hand milked on the first day and the treatments were reversed on the next day. Blood samples were taken via a semi-permanent catheter. Plasma concentrations of vasopressin and oxytocin increased during suckling, but not during hand milking. Plasma cortisol concentration was elevated for 10 min after both treatments. These results initiated a second series in which the objectives were to measure vasopressin and oxytocin concentrations during hand milking in a larger number of goats and to investigate whether the rise in cortisol concentration was due to the experimental conditions or to milking, by adding a no-milking treatment. Nine goats in lactation weeks 4-10 were studied. Heart rate and arterial blood pressure were registered in eight of the goats. Oxytocin concentration did not change during hand milking and the vasopressin concentration was below the detection limit. Heart rate and blood pressure were elevated during milking and for about 10 min thereafter. Cortisol concentration increased after milking, as above. None of the variables changed in the no-milking treatment. This suggests that the rise in cortisol concentration was due to milk excretion and was not a stress reaction. In conclusion, suckling increased plasma concentrations of vasopressin and oxytocin, but hand milking did not. In a mixed system, presence of the kids may be necessary to stimulate release of the peptides and thereby contraction of the myoepithelial cells. However, milk stored in the udder cisterns can be obtained by hand milking without presence of oxytocin or vasopressin.
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PMID:Plasma vasopressin and oxytocin concentrations increase simultaneously during suckling in goats. 1892 97


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