Oxytocin reduces exercise-induced ACTH and cortisol rise in man

Coiro, V.; Passeri, M.; Davoli, C.; Bacchi-Modena, Alberto; Bianconi, L.; Volpi, R.; Chiodera, P.

doi:10.1530/acta.0.1190405

Cited by 30 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This decreased responsiveness to stress has been attributed to OT, as well as to prolactin and other hormones (Carter and Altemus, 1997;Lightman et al, 1993) and may represent an adaptive mechanism to ensure that this important affiliative behavior OT/5-HTT interface ABF Emiliano et al will remain protected from disruptions. Exogenous OT administration to non-nursing human volunteers also decreases basal and stimulated ACTH and cortisol plasma levels (Chiodera and Coiro, 1987;Coiro et al, 1988;Legros et al, 1982).…”

Section: Summary Of Findings and Comparison With Previous Primate Stumentioning

confidence: 95%

The Interface of Oxytocin-Labeled Cells and Serotonin Transporter-Containing Fibers in the Primate Hypothalamus: A Substrate for SSRIs Therapeutic Effects?

Emiliano

Cruz

Pannoni

et al. 2006

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide synthesized in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic nuclei (SON) in the hypothalamus. Although OT is more commonly known for its role in the milk-ejection reflex, in recent years research has indicated that OT participates in the expression of social behavior, memory processing, modulation of fear, and stress responses. The demonstration that OT influences affiliative behaviors, such as parental care and reproduction, and decreases anxiety has lead to speculations that it may have a role in mood disorders. Evidence from pharmacologic studies, pointing out the modulation of the OT system by serotonin, has argued in favor of OT as a mediator of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressant properties. In the present study, we investigated the distribution and overlap of OT-labeled cells and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) immunoreactive (IR) fibers in the Macaque hypothalamus, utilizing immunocytochemical and double-immunofluorescent techniques. Consistent with previous reports, the distribution of OT-labeled cells in the hypothalamus is confined to the PVN and SON. In these nuclei, we demonstrate that the distribution of 5-HTT-labeled fibers follows the distribution of OT-labeled cells. Overlap of OT-labeled neurons and 5-HTT-IR fibers occurs in the parvicellular, magnocellular, dorsal, and posterior subdivisions of the PVN. In the SON, 5-HTT-labeled fibers and OTlabeled cells overlap in the ventromedial subdivision and in the 'capsular' part of the dorsolateral SON. These findings provide neuroanatomic support for the idea that SSRIs' therapeutic effects on social affiliation and anxiety may be mediated in part through components of the OT system. Neuropsychopharmacology (2007) 32, 977-988.

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Section: Summary Of Findings and Comparison With Previous Primate Stumentioning

confidence: 95%

The Interface of Oxytocin-Labeled Cells and Serotonin Transporter-Containing Fibers in the Primate Hypothalamus: A Substrate for SSRIs Therapeutic Effects?

Emiliano

Cruz

Pannoni

et al. 2006

Neuropsychopharmacol

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“…In addition, systemic administration of exogenous oxytocin decreased basal as well as pharmacologically stimulated ACTH and cortisol plasma levels in healthy humans (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30). Notably, suckling results not only in peripheral (31, 32), but also in intracerebral release of oxytocin (33)(34)(35)).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Suckling on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses to Psychosocial Stress in Postpartum Lactating Women

Heinrichs

Meinlschmidt

Neumann

et al. 2001

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &Amp; Metabolism

287

115

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In several studies lactation has been shown to be associated with a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyporesponsiveness to physical and psychological stressors. As it is not known whether the marked blunting of endocrine stress reactivity in women can be ascribed to suckling as a short-term effect or to lactation in general, the acute effects of suckling on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system responses to mental stress were investigated in lactating women.Forty-three lactating women were randomly assigned either to breast-feed or to hold their infants for a 15-min period with the onset 30 min before they were exposed to a brief psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Both breastfeeding and holding the infant yielded significant decreases in ACTH, total plasma cortisol, and salivary free cortisol (all P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in baseline hormone levels between the groups 1 min before the stress test. In response to stress exposure, ACTH, total plasma cortisol, salivary free cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine were significantly increased in all lactating women (all P < 0.001). However, total cortisol and free cortisol responses to stress were attenuated in breast-feeding women (P ‫؍‬ 0.001 and P ‫؍‬ 0.067, respectively), who also showed significantly decreasing PRL levels during the stress test (P ‫؍‬ 0.005). In addition, there was no change in plasma oxytocin or vasopressin in response to the stressor. Breast-feeding as well as holding led to decreased anxiety (P < 0.05), whereas, in contrast, stress exposure worsened mood, calmness, and anxiety in the total group (all P < 0.001).From these data we conclude that lactation in women, in contrast to that in rats, does not result in a general restraint of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to a psychosocial stressor. Rather, suckling is suggested to exert a short-term suppression of the cortisol response to mental stress. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86: 4798 -4804, 2001) E VIDENCE FROM ANIMAL and human studies has suggested that suckling is associated with significant alterations in the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis during the postpartum period (1, 2). Observations in the lactating rat have shown an endocrine hyporesponsiveness to physical and psychological stressors, including attenuated secretion of ACTH (3-7), corticosterone (3-5, 8 -11), catecholamines (12), oxytocin (9, 13-15), and PRL (12, 16).In humans, the effect of lactation on stress-responsive neurohormonal systems has been explored, to date, only for treadmill exercise. Altemus and associates (17) found significantly attenuated plasma ACTH, cortisol, and glucose responses to physical stress in lactating compared with nonlactating women. However, the effects of suckling on endocrine as well as behavioral responses to a psychosocial stress paradigm in humans have not yet been investigated. More important, it is not known whether the marked blunting of endocrine stress responsi...

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“…Previous studies have shown an inhibitory effect of OT on basal ACTH/cortisol secre tion [1][2][3][4][5] and on the ACTH/cortisol response to various provocative stimuli, such as insulin-induced hypoglyce mia [6,7], arginine vasopressin (AVP) [6], corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) [8], AVP plus CRH [9], metyrapone [ 10] or exercise [11]. However, these studies were 1 This work was in part supported by a 'Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione' grant.…”

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confidence: 99%

Relationship between Plasma Profiles of Oxytocin and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone during Suckling or Breast Stimulation in Women

Chiodera¹,

et al. 1991

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Oxytocin (OT) administration has been shown to inhibit adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)/cortisol secretion in several experimental conditions. In the present study, the plasma OT responses to suckling in 7 lactating women or to mechanical breast stimulation in 6 normally menstruating women (experimental tests) or to sham stimuli in the same subjects (control tests) were measured and correlated with the simultaneous changes in plasma ACTH/cortisol levels. All women showed similar basal levels of OT, ACTH and cortisol, which remained unmodified after sham stimulation. In contrast, both suckling and breast stimulation produced a significant increase in plasma OT levels and a significant decrease in plasma ACTH concentrations. When OT and ACTH data were considered together, a significant negative correlation was found between the OT increase and the simultaneous ACTH decline. Plasma cortisol levels were lower during suckling or breast stimulation than in control conditions. These data show an inverse relationship between plasma OT and ACTH levels during suckling and breast stimulation in humans, suggesting an inhibitory influence of OT on ACTH/cortisol secretion in a physiological condition.

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Oxytocin reduces exercise-induced ACTH and cortisol rise in man

Cited by 30 publications

References 15 publications

The Interface of Oxytocin-Labeled Cells and Serotonin Transporter-Containing Fibers in the Primate Hypothalamus: A Substrate for SSRIs Therapeutic Effects?

The Interface of Oxytocin-Labeled Cells and Serotonin Transporter-Containing Fibers in the Primate Hypothalamus: A Substrate for SSRIs Therapeutic Effects?

Effects of Suckling on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses to Psychosocial Stress in Postpartum Lactating Women

Relationship between Plasma Profiles of Oxytocin and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone during Suckling or Breast Stimulation in Women

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