Role of oxytocin in parental behaviour

Abstract

Both animal and human studies have provided conclusive evidence that oxytocin (OXT) acts in the brain (eg, medial preoptic area, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens) to promote parental behaviour under different reproductive and physiological conditions. OXT appears to accelerate and strengthen the neural process that makes newborns attractive or rewarding. Furthermore, OXT reduces stress/anxiety and might improve mood and well being, resulting in indirect benefits for parents. However, OXT also plays a role in the development of species reproductive and social strategies, making some species or individuals more prone to display caring activities in nonreproductive contexts. There are important differences in the development of the OXT system and its regulation by gonadal hormones that can make individuals or species very different. Those intra- and interspecific differences in the OXT system have been associated with differences in parental behaviour. For example, differences in OXT levels in body fluids and genetic variants for the OXT and OXT receptor genes have been associated with variability in parental mood and behaviour in humans. Thus, OXT has received much attention as a potential therapeutic agent for affective, emotional and behavioural problems. Despite many preliminary studies indicating promising findings, several unknown aspects of the OXT system remain to be addressed before we can achieve a complete understanding of its function in the brain. The enormous interest that this area of study has attracted in the last decade will likely continually contribute to advancing our understanding of the role of OXT in parental behaviour and other behavioural and physiological functions.

Peripheral insulin administration enhances the electrical activity of oxytocin and vasopressin neurones in vivo

“…In addition to their classical roles in reproduction, stress and water balance, oxytocin and vasopressin have roles in energy homeostasis . Both central and peripheral oxytocin administration exert anorexigenic effects, increase energy expenditure and induce lipolysis .…”

Single-cell molecular and cellular architecture of the mouse neurohypophysis

“…Circulating OXT and AVP neurohormones affect the physiological function of peripheral organs such as the kidney, mammary gland and the uterus. Specifically, AVP regulates osmotic balance and blood pressure (Donadon et al, 2018;Olazábal, 2018;Wircer et al, 2016), while OXT is mainly known due to its effects on reproduction organs (Lee et al, 2009).…”

Social creatures: Model animal systems for studying the neuroendocrine mechanisms of social behaviour

“…Recent studies have highlighted a remarkable degree of conservation of the oxytocin/vasopressin signalling system in the regulation of nematode behaviours related to reproduction . Mating in C. elegans is conducted primarily by the male, which, when touching a hermaphrodite with his tail, initiates a series of mating behaviours during which he makes turns sliding around her body until he locates the vulva with his tail, stops moving and then transfers sperm .…”

“…These models helped us to deepen our understanding of the neurobiology of social behaviour. Over the past decades, laboratory rodents have been studied in terms of social memory and recognition, and various forms of social interactions including sexual behaviour, parental care, social play and offensive/defensive aggression . Especially, the specific roles of neuropeptides in social behaviour have been uncovered by studying rodents.…”

“…Neuroendocrine systems play an important role in social behaviour because they can act on both the peripheral and central structures needed for its expression. Neuropeptides acting within a variety of brain regions regulate how signals from conspecifics are interpreted and responded to, whereas hormones acting throughout the body of an individual ensure that the tissues and organs needed to successfully perform social behaviours such as reproduction are present and functioning . Neuroendocrine systems and the brain structures they act on to promote social behaviour are well conserved across vertebrate species and, in some cases, are also present in invertebrates .…”