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

Generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD) is associated with heightened limbic and prefrontal activation to negative social cues conveying threat (e.g. fearful faces), but less is known about brain response to negative non-threatening social stimuli. The neuropeptide oxytocin (Oxt) has been shown to attenuate (and normalize) fear-related brain activation and reactivity to emotionally negative cues. Here, we examined the effects of intranasal Oxt on cortical activation to non-threatening sad faces in patients with GSAD and matched controls (Con). In a double-blind placebo-controlled within-subjects design, the cortical activation to sad and happy (vs. neutral) faces was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging following acute intranasal administration of 24 IU Oxt and placebo. Relative to the Con group, GSAD patients exhibited heightened activity to sad faces in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC/BA 10) extending into anterior cingulate cortex (ACC/BA 32). Oxt significantly reduced this heightened activation in the mPFC/ACC regions to levels similar to that of controls. These findings suggest that GSAD is associated with cortical hyperactivity to non-threatening negative but not positive social cues and that Oxt attenuates this exaggerated cortical activity. The modulation of cortical activity by Oxt highlights a broader mechanistic role of this neuropeptide in modulating socially negative cues in GSAD.
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PMID:Medial frontal hyperactivity to sad faces in generalized social anxiety disorder and modulation by oxytocin. 2199 4

Inequity aversion (negative feelings induced by outcome differences between the self and other) plays a key role in human social behaviors. The neurotransmitters oxytocin and GABA have been implicated in neural responses to inequity. However, it remains poorly understood not only how individual genetic factors related to oxytocin and GABA affect the neural mechanisms behind inequity aversion, but also how these genes interact. To address these issues, we examined relationships between genotypes, behavioral decisions and brain activities during the ultimatum game. We identified interactive effects between the polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and glutamate decarboxylase 1 gene for GABA synthesis (GAD1) on envy aversion (i.e., disadvantageous inequity aversion) and on envy-induced activity in the dorsal ACC (dACC). Thus, our integrated approach suggested interactive genetic effects between OXTR and GAD1 on envy aversion and the underlying neural substrates.
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PMID:Interactive effects of OXTR and GAD1 on envy-associated behaviors and neural responses. 3063 79

Oxytocin is an important modulator of human affiliative behaviors, including social skills, human pair bonding, and friendship. CD38 will be discussed as an immune marker and then in more detail the mechanisms of CD38 on releasing brain oxytocin. Mention is made of the paralogue of oxytocin, vasopressin, that has often overlapping and complementary functions with oxytocin on social behavior. Curiously, vasopressin does not require CD38 to be released from the brain. This review discusses the social salience hypothesis of oxytocin action, a novel view of how this molecule influences much of human social behaviors often in contradictory ways. The oxytocinergic-vasopressinergic systems are crucial modulators of broad aspects of human personality. Of special interest are studies of these two hormones in trust related behavior observed using behavioral economic games. This review also covers the role of oxytocin in parenting and parental attachment. In conclusion, the effects of oxytocin on human behavior depend on the individual's social context and importantly as well, the individual's cultural milieu, viz. East and West. ACRONYMS: ACC = Anterior Cingulate ADP = Adenosine diphosphate AQ = Autism Quotient cADPR = Cyclic ADP-ribose CNS = Central nervous system DA = Dopamine eQTLC = Expression Quantitative Trait Loci LC-NE = Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging OFC = Orbitofrontal cortices OXT = Oxytocin RAGE = Receptor for advanced glycation end-products SARM1 = Sterile Alpha and toll/interleukin-1 receptor motif-containing 1 TRPM2= Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M Member 2 AVP = Vasopressin.
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PMID:A Novel Role of CD38 and Oxytocin as Tandem Molecular Moderators of Human Social Behavior. 3236 Apr 14

The effects of intranasal oxytocin on amygdala activity during emotional perception are often mixed. Given that the brain is organized into networks of interconnected areas, functional connectivity might provide an effective way to further understand the oxytocin effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether oxytocin administration affects amygdala activity and its functional connectivity during dynamic facial expression perception. Using a between-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 55 participants were randomly assigned to groups receiving a single dose of 24 IU oxytocin or a placebo via intranasal administration. An implicit emotional task was employed to investigate the effect of oxytocin on neural responses to dynamic angry, neutral, and happy facial expressions with fMRI. Participants were instructed to respond only when the inverted dynamic faces were presented. The results indicated that oxytocin attenuated activation of insula and emotional processing-related regions (e.g., ACC, thalamus, and MFG) during the viewing of dynamic angry faces. However, functional connectivity between the regions involved in the perception of dynamic angry faces was not changed following oxytocin administration. The present findings may contribute to our understanding of the anxiolytic effects of oxytocin and eventually facilitate human clinical applications.
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PMID:Intranasal oxytocin attenuates insula activity in response to dynamic angry faces. 3315 52