BackgroundOxytocin (OT) is thought to have potential as a new therapeutic strategy for depression. In spite of the fact that women are at a far greater risk for depression than are men, many experimental studies use male subjects. Thus, we investigated the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of OT on steroid-induced depression model of female mice. Methods Adult female C57BL/6J mice were injected with OT (0.01, 0.1, or 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) and corticosterone (CORT; 40 mg/kg, s.c.) for 4 weeks. Mice were randomly assigned to the following groups: (1) vehicle; (2) CORT; (3) OT 0.01 + CORT; (4) OT 0.1 + CORT; (5) OT 1.0 + CORT. To assess the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of OT, mice were subjected to the open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST). Results OT 0.1 + CORT group showed a significantly higher number of entries into the center zone in OFT than the CORT group. In the FST, the immobility time of the OT (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0) + CORT groups were significantly lower than that of the CORT group. The immobility time of OT (0.01 and 0.1) + CORT groups were comparable to the vehicle group. Discussion Under CORT exposure, the anxiolytic effects of OT were seen only in the middle dose of OT (0.1 mg/kg), whereas OT treatment (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) ameliorated the depressive behavior. Previous studies showed that OT (1.0 mg/kg) improved both the CORT-induced anxiety and depressive behaviors in males. These results suggest that the effective dose of OT may be different between sexes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.