Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Oxytocin. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Oxytocin. Sort by date Show all posts

Friday, August 3, 2018

Oxytocin, vasopressin flatten social hierarchy and synchronize behaviors


In continuation of my update on Oxytocin

Oxytocin's effects on human social behavior aren't clear. Some studies reveal significant positive changes, yet others show none at all. In many animals, from rodents to non-human primates, it's a different story: Oxytocin has been proven to increase positive social behaviors and attention paid to others, and reduce negative social behaviors like threats and vigilance.

Such findings typically derive from work that includes specific tasks performed by the subjects, either people or animals. But Penn neuroscientist Michael Platt and postdoctoral researcher Yaoguang Jiang wanted to understand what happens during spontaneous, naturally occurring interactions following inhalation and injection of both oxytocin and a similar neuropeptide, vasopressin.
In a study published in Scientific Reports, they found that in male rhesus macaques, the hormones flatten group hierarchy, resulting in dominant monkeys becoming more relaxed and subordinate monkeys becoming more confident. This holds even when just one of a pair receives oxytocin or vasopressin, indicating some sort of non-verbal communication between the animals.
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"This society, which is often described as despotic, hierarchical, and regulated by aggression and submission, becomes more egalitarian. Everyone is a little nicer to everyone else," says Platt, a Penn Integrates Knowledge professor with appointments in the Perelman School of Medicine, the School of Arts and Sciences, and Wharton. "They synchronize their facial expressions and their  more tightly in time. In other words, they're paying more attention to each other and when you do this, you get information more quickly and you respond more quickly."
The work, the first of its kind, involved giving one macaque oxytocin, vasopressin, or saline via inhalation or injection, then pairing him seven times, six with different monkeys and once with an empty chair, in a random order. For their protection, the animals could not physically touch. However, they could interact and could see, hear, and smell each other. The researchers recorded a five-minute exchange, then two separate observers scored the behavior, frame by frame. Seven macaques participated in the inhalation work, and seven participated in the injection work.
"Social dominance in monkeys is a really big deal. They live and breathe for it. But here, the curve got flattened," says Jiang, who has worked in the Platt Labs for more than two years. "If you were in the middle, you stayed in the middle. But if you were lower-ranking and you used to be timid, you got a little more assertive, and if you were super dominant, you still knew you were the boss but you were a little more chill about it. You weren't always trying to pick a fight."

What's more, the alignment of actions—what's known as behavioral synchrony—when only one half of a duo got the hormone indicates non-verbal cues underlying the activity, Jiang explains. "Somehow they were conveying this information to each other," she says. "Communication was obviously not verbal, but little gestures." This is consistent with previous work from Platt showing that oxytocin increases how long one monkey looks at and pays attention to another monkey.
Vasopressin lead to the same outcome as oxytocin, which actually complicates the picture of how such hormones work. Receptors for the two are located in different parts of the brain, and can bind to both hormones. By injecting small amounts of the hormones into a brain area that only contains vasopressin receptors, Platt and Jiang found that oxytocin appeared to be binding to  to change behavior.
"Our understanding of how all of this is going to work is much more complicated than originally thought," Platt says. "We have to consider this whole other system, the vasopressin system."
In theory, digging deep into these hormones and their underlying mechanisms could potentially lead to breakthroughs in therapeutic treatments for social disorders such as autism and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It may also help children who have had pituitary tumors removed, a procedure that can damage the hypothalamus and lead to ravenous overeating for reasons still unknown. Because oxytocin regulates feeding and , there's treatment potential there, something Platt and colleagues are testing via a clinical trial at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
"We anticipate that for these kids, there is a whole set of underlying social problems that people aren't dialed into because they're focused on the fact that the kids can't stop eating," Platt explains. "We're trying to determine whether when we treat them for overeating, that also improves social functions."
This overall work builds on research Platt has conducted on  for more than two decades. In particular,  offer a valuable comparison to humans because the animals model many of the same social behaviors, live in large groups, and form long-term social bonds.
Their reaction to oxytocin and vasopressin also seems to mirror that of people. Yet despite such incremental advancements in knowledge, there's still much to understand, Platt says. "We have a lot more to learn about how, when, and in what manner we use these peptide hormones to treat various problems."

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Oxytocin hormone inhibits fear center in brain, shows study

In continuation of my update on oxytocin...

Frightening experiences do not quickly fade from memory. A team of researchers under the guidance of the University of Bonn Hospital has now been able to demonstrate in a study that the bonding hormone oxytocin inhibits the fear center in the brain and allows fear stimuli to subside more easily. This basic research could also usher in a new era in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The study has already appeared in advance online in the journal "Biological Psychiatry". The print edition will be available in a few weeks.

Significant fear becomes deeply entrenched in memory. Following a car accident, for example, it is difficult to manage street traffic once again - even screeching tires can evoke significant anxiety. Scientists refer to this as "conditioning". Certain images or noises are very closely intertwined in the brain with the experience of pain or fear. Only gradually does one learn that not every screeching tire means danger. This active overwriting in the memory is known as "extinction". "In this process, however, the original contents of the memory are not erased but instead merely overlaid with positive experiences," explains Prof. Dr. Dr. René Hurlemann from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University of Bonn Hospital. If there are dangerous situations once again, the fear, which was believed to have been already overcome, frequently flares up once more.

Extinction is often used in therapy for anxiety disorders. For example, a person suffering from a spider phobia will gradually and increasingly come face to face with spiders. First the patient has to view photos of spiders and then look at living examples until finally he holds a tarantula in his hand. When people with an anxiety disorder experience as frequently as possible the fact that they do not need to fear the trigger, their fear is reduced. "However, this can take a very long time, because this confrontation with the fearful situation frequently has to be experienced. In addition, there may be relapses because the original trace of fear is still anchored in the memory," reports Prof. Hurlemann. This is why therapists seek a possibility for "overwriting" the fearful memory in a faster and longer-lasting way.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Hormone Spray improves male Sensitivity.....

A study by Dr. Ren- Hurlemann of Bonn University's Clinic for Psychiatry,  has revealed for the first time that emotional empathy is modulated by oxytocin (see structure), and that this applies similarly to learning processes with social multipliers.. Researchers claim that, this hormone might thus be useful as medication for diseases such as schizophrenia, which are frequently associated with reduced social approachability and social withdrawal......

Ref : http://www3.uni-bonn.de/Press-releases/hormone-spray-improves-male-sensitivity

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Pomegranate extract (β-Sitosterol) stimulates uterine contractions.........

In continuation of my update on pomegranate and its importance in the diet, I found this info interesting to share with...

Earlier studies have suggested that the pomegranate’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have a positive impact on health. Scientists at the University of Liverpool   and the Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand, wanted to understand its effect on uterine contractions to explore new ways of treating women who may experience difficult labours.  Currently the only available drug to treat women with a poorly contracting uterus is oxytocin, a hormone which only works approximately 50% of the time,  so there is need of a good  drug.

The team identified   β-Sitosterol,   which inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine  (as the main constituent of pomegranate seed extract) could be used as a natural stimulant to encourage the uterus to contract during  labour.

        I would say this activity (stimulation of  uterine contractions) is an interesting out come from the research group, because β-Sitosterol has been (earlier) reported ;

a) in treatment of hypercholesterolemia;
b) to possess  anticancer activity (prostate & breast);
c) in a small study, it shows a positive effect on male hair loss in combination with Saw palmetto.

Researchers,  also found that β-Sitosterol concentration  is more in the  pomegranate seed extract  rather  than pomegranate juice itself  and by adding this seed extract to the uterus tissue samples from animals they found that the muscle cells increased their activity. 

The reason for this activity,  (as claimed by the researchers) is due to a rise in calcium, which is necessary in order for any muscle to contract (which is usually affected by hormones, nerve impulses and some drug treatments) . So further studies  like how β-Sitosterol  in pomegranate extract could increase calcium are essential and might lead to  an interesting step towards identifying new ways of treating dysfunctional labour ..more..

Monday, March 5, 2018

Low-cost drug could prevent postpartum hemorrhage after normal delivery

In continuation of Tranexamic acid (TXA)

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Postpartum hemorrhage (major blood loss after labor and birth) is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, accounting for approximately one-quarter of all maternal deaths. In a study to be presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, researchers will unveil findings that demonstrate that tranexamic acid prevents blood loss after vaginal births and postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) among women who have an operative vaginal delivery (use of a vacuum or forceps) or an episiotomy. In the United States, about 3.1% of births occur via operative vaginal delivery and 11-12% of births include an episiotomy. These rates, however, vary between low, middle and high-income countries.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) has long been used to reduce bleeding in elective surgeries, trauma patients, and menstrual blood loss. More recently, TXA has been recommended for the treatment of PPH and studied for use following cesarean birth. However, until now, there were no methodically sound studies that demonstrated TXA could prevent PPH in vaginal births. The research presented today is part of the "TRAnexamic Acid for Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage after Vaginal Delivery," more commonly referred to as the TRAAP Trial.
In multicenter, randomized control study in France, researchers gave nearly 4,000 women in labor either one gram of TXA or a placebo. In the group that received the TXA, there was a reduction in the incidence of postpartum blood loss. In sub-group analysis, the researchers found that TXA reduced PPH in women with instrumental vaginal delivery and episiotomy. Further, there was no increase in severe adverse events in the TXA group, including thrombotic events, as compared to the placebo group in the three months after delivery.
"TXA should be considered for women who deliver via operative vaginal delivery and episiotomy in conjunction with prophylactic oxytocin," said Loïc Sentilles, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Bordeaux University Hospital. "At the dosage studied, the only side effect observed was an increase in nausea and vomiting."
There are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of a woman experiencing PPH, including obesity, prolonged or augmented labor, previous cesarean birth, and others. However, more women with PPH have no identifiable risk factors. Therefore, it is therefore essential to prevent PPH and ultimately save women's lives