Neural Functions of Hypothalamic Oxytocin and its Regulation

作者：Ping Wang, Stephani C. Wang, Xiaoyu Liu, Shuwei Jia, Xiaoran Wang, Tong Li, Jiawei Yu, Vladimir Parpura, Yu‐Feng Wang · 发表于：ASN NEURO · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1177/17590914221100706 · 被引用次数：63 · 研究领域：Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior、Neuroscience of respiration and sleep、Infant Health and Development

Oxytocin (OT), a nonapeptide, has a variety of functions. Despite extensive studies on OT over past decades, our understanding of its neural functions and their regulation remains incomplete. OT is mainly produced in OT neurons in the supraoptic nucleus (SON), paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and accessory nuclei between the SON and PVN. OT exerts neuromodulatory effects in the brain and spinal cord. While magnocellular OT neurons in the SON and PVN mainly innervate the pituitary and forebrain regions, and parvocellular OT neurons in the PVN innervate brainstem and spinal cord, the two sets of OT neurons have close interactions histologically and functionally. OT expression occurs at early life to promote mental and physical development, while its subsequent decrease in expression in later life stage accompanies aging and diseases. Adaptive changes in this OT system, however, take place under different conditions and upon the maturation of OT release machinery. OT can modulate social recognition and behaviors, learning and memory, emotion, reward, and other higher brain functions. OT also regulates eating and drinking, sleep and wakefulness, nociception and analgesia, sexual behavior, parturition, lactation and other instinctive behaviors. OT regulates the autonomic nervous system, and somatic and specialized senses. Notably, OT can have different modulatory effects on the same function under different conditions. Such divergence may derive from different neural connections, OT ...