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)

Dams were fed normal laboratory chow until delivery. At birth, the litters were combined, and eight pups were randomly assigned to each dam. Dams with the recombined litters were divided into two groups. Dams of group 1 were fed a 20% protein diet as a control; dams of group 2 were fed a 20% protein diet supplemented with caffeine (2 mg/100 g of the dam's weight). On day 22, the dams of group 2 were anaesthetized with ether. They were injected with 2 iu of oxytocin in order to collect milk. Blood was collected from pups and dams to determine its caffeine concentration. The first and second molars were removed from each pup's mandible and maxilla. Radiographs were taken of 10 randomly selected first or second molars from each group. Four randomly selected molars from each litter were placed in a specially designed chamber and bathed with a constant flow of acid solution to determine the amount of mineral dissolved from the enamel surfaces. The remaining non-acid exposed molars were pulverized in freezer mills. A small portion of this powder was then analysed for the total amount of minerals. No differences were found in the radiographic density of enamel between the groups. The amount of dissolved calcium, phosphorus and magnesium from enamel surfaces in the caffeine group was consistently greater than that of the non-caffeine group in the first molars, whereas, in the second molars, there was no difference between the groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Effects of maternal caffeine intake during lactation on molar enamel surfaces in new-born rats. 162 36

Dams with 7 pups each were randomly assigned to two different diets. Twelve dams were fed a normal (20%) protein diet and were divided into two groups of 4 and 8 animals. Pups from group 1 (n = 28) were injected with citrate buffer as a control. Pups from group 2 (n = 56) were injected with streptozotocin. Twelve additional dams were fed a 40% protein diet. They were also divided into two groups of 4 and 8 animals. Pups from group 3 (n = 28) were injected with citrate buffer as a control. Pups from group 4 (n = 56) were injected with streptozotocin. Forty-eight hours later, diabetic status was determined using Dextrostix. On Day 15, pups were injected with [14C]proline to determine collagen synthesis and 45Ca to study mineralization. After the pups were killed, blood glucose levels were determined. Then mandibles were removed. Milk from each dam was also collected after injection of oxytocin. At the time of killing, blood glucose levels in diabetic pups were less than earlier levels, though still higher than those of controls on either diet. The weights of body and mandible, collagen contents, and the total calcium contents in the diabetic group were in general less than those of the nondiabetic group on the 20 and 40% protein diets. 45Ca uptake in the diabetic group was significantly increased compared with those of the nondiabetic rats on both diets. The percentage reduction in the mandibles of diabetic rats from those of nondiabetic rats on the 40% protein diets was consistently less than that of animals on the 20% protein diets. The higher protein contents of the maternal milk in the 40% protein group may partly be responsible for the smaller impairment of mandibular development in the diabetic over nondiabetic animals. It is concluded that maternal low-carbohydrate high-protein diets will play indirectly a beneficial role in the development of the mandibles of diabetic newborns.
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PMID:Maternal low-carbohydrate high-protein diet affects mandibular growth in diabetic newborn rats. 357 31

Proximal separation (PS) refers to isolating pups in small cages so dams can hear, smell, and see pups but have very limited physical contact with them. Six days of PS diminished the number of discernible oxytocin- (OT) immunostaining perikarya in forebrain areas of rat dams compared with 6 days of total separation (TS) or no separation (NS) from pups. Dams exhibited a more rapid resurgence of maternal behavior after 4-6 days of PS than after 4-6 days of TS. Bilateral infusion of the OT antagonist (OTA; 1 microgram/microliter/side) into the ventral tegmental area blocked the resurgence of maternal behavior after 3-6 days of PS but not after 2 days of PS or 4-6 days of NS. The conclusion was that PS for 3 or more days reinstates OT as necessary and sufficient for the activation of maternal behavior in experienced rat mothers. These findings suggest that some aspects of somatosensory stimulation from pups regulate the role of OT in the control of maternal behavior.
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PMID:Interfering with somatosensory stimulation from pups sensitizes experienced, postpartum rat mothers to oxytocin antagonist inhibition of maternal behavior. 855 21

One-hundred eight lactations of Murciano-Granadina goats from different years were used to compare two kid rearing systems. Goats were separated into two groups: suckling and milking. Dams in the suckling group were milked once daily until kids were weaned (wk 0 to 7) and then were milked twice daily. Dams in the milking group were separated from their kids at 48 h after birth; then, kids were raised artificially, and goats were milked twice daily. Total milk yield was estimated according to the oxytocin method during suckling. Stage of lactation, parity, prolificacy, and year effects on milk yield and composition were also studied. As expected, during the first 7 wk of lactation, marketable milk was higher for dams that were milked than for dams that were suckled. Neither milk yield nor milk composition throughout the entire lactation was affected by group or prolificacy with the exception of the percentage of milk CP. The lactation curve peaked at wk 4 or 5 and declined slowly afterward. First parity goats had the lowest milk yield but the highest fat and protein percentages. Third parity goats had the highest milk yield. The separation of kids from their dams after birth did not affect total lactation performance because of the minimal importance of the neuroendocrine milk ejection reflex in goats compared with that of other ruminants.
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PMID:Influence of kid rearing systems on milk composition and yield of Murciano-Granadina dairy goats. 943 6

Gravid Sprague-Dawley rats received subcutaneous injections of saline, 3.5, 7.5 or 15 mg/kg of cocaine, twice daily, throughout gestation. On postpartum days 2, 3, and 5, dams and their litters (surrogate or natural) were videotaped for 10 minutes in the presence of a male rat for assessment of aggression towards the intruder. Oxytocin levels in discrete brain areas were assayed on postpartum day 5. The 30 mg/kg dose group had a significantly greater increase in the frequency of threats from postpartum day2 through postpartum day 5 than the 7.5 mg/kg cocaine and the non-yoke-fed saline control groups. Dams with natural litters exhibited a significantly greater frequency of receptive behavior compared to dams with surrogate litters. There were no significant differences in oxytocin levels between the 30 mg/kg cocaine-treated group and the other treatment or control groups on postpartum day 5. There are very few statistically significant cocaine-induced increases in maternal aggressive behavior and no dose-dependent decreases in amygdaloid OT levels in the early postpartum period.
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PMID:Dose-related effects of chronic gestational cocaine treatment on maternal aggression in rats on postpartum days 2, 3, and 5. 1151 55

Chronic gestational cocaine administration has been correlated with high levels of postpartum maternal aggression towards intruders and altered levels of oxytocin in the amygdala. Cocaine may alter both oxytocin and maternal aggression either directly or indirectly through changes in monoamine levels in relevant brain regions. In this study, pregnant female rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups; three cocaine dose groups (7.5, 15 or 30 mg/kg), or a saline-treated group (0.9% normal saline) and given subcutaneous injections twice daily (total volume 2 ml/kg) throughout gestation. Behavioral responses to an inanimate object placed in the homecage were assessed on Postpartum Day (PPD) 6. Immediately following testing, animals were sacrificed and four brain regions implicated in maternal/aggressive behavior (medial preoptic area [MPOA], ventral tegmental area [VTA], hippocampus, and amygdala) were removed for monoamine level analyses using high-performance liquid chromatography. Dams given 30 mg/kg cocaine throughout gestation had significantly higher levels of dopamine (DA) and nonsignificantly elevated serotonin (5-HT) levels relative to saline-treated controls. These dams also exhibited higher frequencies of defensive behavior toward an inanimate object compared to saline-treated controls. Potential mechanisms mediating cocaine-induced increases in responding are proposed.
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PMID:Effects of chronic cocaine on monoamine levels in discrete brain structures of lactating rat dams. 1247 66

Decreased oxytocin levels in the amygdalas of rat dams following chronic gestational cocaine exposure have been correlated with heightened maternal aggressive behavior. In this experiment, drug-naive dams were implanted with bilateral cannulas into the central nucleus of the amygdala (CNA) or control area and infused with 1,000 or 500 ng of an oxytocin antagonist (OTA) or buffer, 4 hr before testing. Behavior was compared among dams infused with OTA into target areas just outside the CNA and cocaine-treated dams (infused with buffer). Dams infused with 1,000 ng OTA attacked intruders significantly more often than buffer-infused dams. OTA did not affect other behaviors, suggesting that disruption of oxytocin activity in the CNA may be sufficient to selectively alter maternal aggressive behavior.
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PMID:An oxytocin antagonist infused into the central nucleus of the amygdala increases maternal aggressive behavior. 1270 15

Oxytocin (OT) has been implicated in reproductive functions, induction of maternal behavior as well as endocrine and neuroendocrine regulation of the cardiovascular system. Here we demonstrate that neonatal manipulation of OT can modulate the mRNAs expression for OT receptor (OTR), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) in the heart. On the first day of postnatal life, female and male rats were randomly assigned to receive one of the following treatments: (a) 50microl i.p. injection of 7microg OT; (b) 0.7microg of OT antagonist (OTA); or (c) isotonic saline (SAL). Hearts were collected either on postnatal day 1 or day 21 (D1 or D21) and the mRNAs expression of OTR, ANP, inducible NOS (iNOS), eNOS, ERalpha and estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) were compared by age, treatment, and sex utilizing real time PCR. OT treatment significantly increased heart OTR, ANP and eNOS mRNAs expression on D1 in both males and females, ERalpha increased only in females. While there were significant changes in the relative expression of all types of mRNA between D1 and D21, there were no significant treatment effects observed in D21 animals. OTA treatment significantly decreased basal ANP and eNOS mRNAs expression on D1 in both sexes. The results indicate that during the early postnatal period OT can have an immediate effect on the expression OTR, ANP, eNOS, and ERalpha mRNAs and that these effects are mitigated by D21. Also with the exception of ERalpha mRNA, the effects are the same in both sexes.
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PMID:Neonatal oxytocin treatment modulates oxytocin receptor, atrial natriuretic peptide, nitric oxide synthase and estrogen receptor mRNAs expression in rat heart. 1753 44

Oxytocin (OT) is known for its role in reproduction. However, evidence has emerged suggesting its involvement in the regulation of the cardiovascular system. Here we examine the hypothesis that neonatal exposure to OT can have both short-term and long-lasting consequences on gene expression in heart tissue. On the first day of postnatal life, female and male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were randomly assigned to receive one of following treatments: 50 microl i.p. injection of (a) 3 microg OT (b) 0.3 microg of OT antagonist (OTA), or (c) isotonic saline (SAL). Hearts were collected on postnatal day 1 (D1, 2 h after injection), day 8 (D8), or day 21 (D21), and the mRNA expression for OT receptor (OTR), estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta as a function of age, treatment, and sex were measured using RT-PCR. Neonatal treatment with OT showed a marked increase in cardiac OTR mRNA expression on postnatal D1, but not D8 or D21, in both female and male animals. ERalpha increased as a function of OT treatment only in females. Although significant treatment effects were no longer detected in D8 or D21 animals, there were significant changes in the relative expression of all types of mRNA between D1 and D21 with age-related declines in OTR and ERbeta and increases in ERalpha Neonatal treatment with OTA showed no changes in cardiac OTR, ERalpha, or ERbeta mRNAs expression. The results indicate that during the early postnatal period OT can have rapid effects on the expression of OTR and ERalpha mRNAs and that these effects are mitigated by D8 or D21. Also, with the exception of ERalpha mRNA, the effects are the same in both sexes.
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PMID:Modulation of cardiac oxytocin receptor and estrogen receptor alpha mRNAs expression following neonatal oxytocin treatment. 1787 27

Alcohol consumption and smoking during pregnancy is common, despite the known adverse effects of these drugs on fetal development. Though studies on the effects of each drug separately are published, little is known about the effect of concurrent use of alcohol and nicotine in humans or in preclinical models. In this report, we examined the impact of continuous gestational exposure to both ethanol via liquid diet and nicotine via an osmotic minipump on maternal behavior, offspring ethanol intake, and oxytocin levels in a rat model. Dams were tested for the onset of maternal behavior with litters of unexposed surrogate pups and then killed to examine oxytocin levels within specific brain regions. Drug-exposed offspring reared by surrogate dams were tested for ethanol intake at either adolescence or adulthood, and oxytocin levels were measured in relevant brain regions after behavioral tests. Dams exhibited minor deficits in maternal care, which were associated with lower oxytocin levels in both the ventral tegmental and medial preoptic areas compared to control dams. Prenatal exposure altered sex-specific ethanol intake, with differential effects at adolescence and adulthood. Oxytocin system changes were also apparent in the ventral tegmental and medial preoptic regions of drug-exposed adolescent and adult offspring. These results suggest that dam treatment with ethanol and nicotine can somewhat negatively affect the early rearing environment, and that prenatal exposure to both of these drugs results in drinking behavior differing from what would be expected from either drug alone. Oxytocin's possible involvement in the mediation of these effects is highlighted.
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PMID:Gestational ethanol and nicotine exposure: effects on maternal behavior, oxytocin, and offspring ethanol intake in the rat. 1866 81


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