Current Advances in Oxytocin Research

In 1950, the amino acid sequences of vasopressin and oxytocin were determined, and both peptides were chemically synthesised. This characterisation of oxytocin led to the Nobel Prize being awarded to Vincent du Vigneaud in 1955. The common evolutionary origin of vasopressin and oxytocin dates back t...

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description In 1950, the amino acid sequences of vasopressin and oxytocin were determined, and both peptides were chemically synthesised. This characterisation of oxytocin led to the Nobel Prize being awarded to Vincent du Vigneaud in 1955. The common evolutionary origin of vasopressin and oxytocin dates back to millions of years ago, which suggests that oxytocin has effects that go beyond uterine contractions and pregnancy. Nevertheless, such evidence was uncovered only in early 2000, when mice depleted of either oxytocin or its receptor were observed to develop late-onset obesity and metabolic syndrome, thus establishing the involvement of oxytocin in the regulation of energy and metabolism. The effects of oxytocin on fat and energy are both direct, since oxytocin is anorexigenic, and indirect, since oxytocin regulates the lean/fat mass composition in skeletal muscle. Peripheral oxytocin promotes osteoblast differentiation and function. Oxytocin acts on fat, muscle, and bone. Evolutionarily, the anabolic effect of oxytocin on bone and muscle makes sense since oxytocin concentrations increase during stressful physiological situations, including pregnancy and lactation in mammals, and triggers aggressive behaviour that, in females, is important for the protection of offspring after labour, when they are most vulnerable to predators and plasma oxytocin is at its peak. This demonstrates that the effects of oxytocin are beneficial in the management of osteoporosis, body fat gain, and sarcopenia, indicating the therapeutic potential but also challenges, namely, to find a single route able to reach all the targets.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1750642026-04-16T18:44:56Z Current Advances in Oxytocin Research Camerino, Claudia Oxytocin Oxytocin receptor Thermoregulation Skeletal muscle Brown fat Obesity Policistic ovary syndrome Prader-Willi syndrome Autism spectrum disorder Hormesis thema EDItEUR::G Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects::GP Research and information: general thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences In 1950, the amino acid sequences of vasopressin and oxytocin were determined, and both peptides were chemically synthesised. This characterisation of oxytocin led to the Nobel Prize being awarded to Vincent du Vigneaud in 1955. The common evolutionary origin of vasopressin and oxytocin dates back to millions of years ago, which suggests that oxytocin has effects that go beyond uterine contractions and pregnancy. Nevertheless, such evidence was uncovered only in early 2000, when mice depleted of either oxytocin or its receptor were observed to develop late-onset obesity and metabolic syndrome, thus establishing the involvement of oxytocin in the regulation of energy and metabolism. The effects of oxytocin on fat and energy are both direct, since oxytocin is anorexigenic, and indirect, since oxytocin regulates the lean/fat mass composition in skeletal muscle. Peripheral oxytocin promotes osteoblast differentiation and function. Oxytocin acts on fat, muscle, and bone. Evolutionarily, the anabolic effect of oxytocin on bone and muscle makes sense since oxytocin concentrations increase during stressful physiological situations, including pregnancy and lactation in mammals, and triggers aggressive behaviour that, in females, is important for the protection of offspring after labour, when they are most vulnerable to predators and plasma oxytocin is at its peak. This demonstrates that the effects of oxytocin are beneficial in the management of osteoporosis, body fat gain, and sarcopenia, indicating the therapeutic potential but also challenges, namely, to find a single route able to reach all the targets. 2026-04-16T18:44:50Z 2026-04-16T18:44:50Z 2025 book ONIX_20260416T142754_9783725853571_19 9783725853571 9783725853588 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/175064 eng application/octet-stream Attribution 4.0 International https://mdpi.com/books/ https://mdpi.com/books/pdfview/book/11967 MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 10.3390/books978-3-7258-5358-8 10.3390/books978-3-7258-5358-8 46cabcaa-dd94-4bfe-87b4-55023c1b36d0 9783725853571 9783725853588 188 CH open access
spellingShingle Oxytocin
Oxytocin receptor
Thermoregulation
Skeletal muscle
Brown fat
Obesity
Policistic ovary syndrome
Prader-Willi syndrome
Autism spectrum disorder
Hormesis
thema EDItEUR::G Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects::GP Research and information: general
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences
Current Advances in Oxytocin Research
title Current Advances in Oxytocin Research
title_full Current Advances in Oxytocin Research
title_fullStr Current Advances in Oxytocin Research
title_full_unstemmed Current Advances in Oxytocin Research
title_short Current Advances in Oxytocin Research
title_sort current advances in oxytocin research
topic Oxytocin
Oxytocin receptor
Thermoregulation
Skeletal muscle
Brown fat
Obesity
Policistic ovary syndrome
Prader-Willi syndrome
Autism spectrum disorder
Hormesis
thema EDItEUR::G Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects::GP Research and information: general
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences
topic_facet Oxytocin
Oxytocin receptor
Thermoregulation
Skeletal muscle
Brown fat
Obesity
Policistic ovary syndrome
Prader-Willi syndrome
Autism spectrum disorder
Hormesis
thema EDItEUR::G Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects::GP Research and information: general
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences
url ONIX_20260416T142754_9783725853571_19