Intranasal Oxytocin in Autism: Models, Pain and Oxidative Stress

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Lately there are increased evidences that oxytocin may be an important mediator in several psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. Oxytocin system seems to be linked with several neurotransmitters important in psychiatric disorder, but also with the hypothalamic�pituitary�adrenal (HPA) axis and is also a key factor in stress regulation mechanisms. Considering the oxytocin receptor pattern of distribution both central and peripherally and the growing data concerning the disbalance of oxytocin in psychiatric disorders we may speculate that oxytocin system may be at the core of psychosomatic disturbances. Also, recent data brought to attention that oxytocin receptor is distributed throughout gastrointestinal tract. Our hypothesis of the present study was that oxytocin system is disbalanced in irritable bowel syndrome considering also the psychological component of this digestive disorder. We preliminary report here a significant decrease of serum oxytocin levels in patients with major depression disorder and irritable bowel syndrome, as compared with those with major depression disorder alone.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Preliminary Study on the Correlations Between Oxytocin Levels and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Patients with Depression

Gavril¹,

Hrițcu²,

Pădurariu³

et al. 2019

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“…as some kind of anti-stress molecule), since it can modulate neuroendocrine axes and adjusting the cortisol levels especially under stressful conditions [30]. There are also important correlations to be mentioned here between cortisol levels and the anxiety-related states [31], since our group also showed some protective effects of oxytocin in anxietyrelated behaviour and a variety of associated neuropsychiatric manifestations [32][33][34][35][36][37][38].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Serum Cortisol Levels Modifications in Patients with Depression and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Hrițcu¹,

Pădurariu²,

Ciobîcă³

et al. 2019

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The correlations between depression and stress are quite accepted nowadays, as well as the fact that cortisol levels could also represent fundamental risk factors for major depressive disorder. However, when it comes to the modifications of cortisol levels in depression, the results are controversial. Same goes for the cortisol modifications in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a functional digestive disorder characterized by a strong biopsychological component, being highly influenced or exacerbated by stressful stimuli. Thus, in the present report we were interested in seeing if there are any serum cortisol levels variations in patients with depression and irritable bowel syndrome, by looking at cortisol modifications in two different groups of patients: a control group with major depression disorder and another study group composed by major depression disorder + IBS patients. Thus, our data presented here are suggesting that there is a significant increase in cortisol levels in the morning serum of the patients with major depression disorder + IBS, as compared to the group having only depression. The results presented here could have an important relevance in the context of managing the stress-related factors in the pathological entities described above.

“…In regards to the pain manifestations in the autistic pathology, as also mentioned before [49], recent studies pursuing the opioid hypothesis and designed to sustain the increased resistance to pain of individuals diagnosed with autism, demonstrated actually the opposite: that patients with autism are sensitive to pain [50]. In this way, the difference between subjects without the psychiatric issues and those suffering from autism are modified behavioural reactions and emotional responses that are difficult to be evaluated in a clinical examination.…”

Section: Zymosan Administration Testmentioning

confidence: 82%

The Effect of Exercising on Oxidative Stress Status and Pain in a Valproic-acid Induced Model of Autism Possible relevance of oxytocin

Antioch¹,

Ababei²,

Lefter³

et al. 2017

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In this report we will describe the effect of exercising (6 days, each day 3 separate training phases of 5 minutes each, on an adapted treadmill at 1.0 m/s) on oxidative stress status from the temporal lobe (expressed through 3 main parameters: superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as a marker of lipid peroxidation) and pain (as determined through 2 specific behavioural tasks such as hot plate test for the supraspinal acute thermal pain and the intra abdominal Zymosan administration for eliciting a local inflammatory reaction following responses to inflammatory visceral pain) in a rat valproic-acid induced perinatal model of autism, also trying to emphasize a possible implication of oxytocin in this complex pathological picture. We demonstrated here an increased oxidative stress status, as a result of treadmill exercising, in a VPA rat induced model of autism, as demonstrated mainly by a significant decrease in the specific activity of SOD (for the exercised VPA female rats), as well as a significant decrease of GPX specific activity in the male VPA exercised rats, when compared to nonexercised VPA groups, as well as the fact that the aforementioned series of exercises did not resulted in any changes of the pain perception of this rat models of autism, as studied in 2 pain-related behavioural tasks, independent to the gender of the rats with VPA model of autism.