OXYTOCIN : HOW LOVE HORMONE REGULATES SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
Oxytocin has been
called the "love hormone" because it plays an important role in
social behaviors, such as maternal care and pair bonding. In a study published
by Cell Press on October 9th in the journal Cell, researchers
uncover oxytocin-responsive brain cells that are necessary for female social
interest in male mice during estrus -- the sexually receptive phase of their
cycle. These neurons, found in the prefrontal cortex, may play a role in other
oxytocin-related social behaviors such as intimacy, love, or mother-child
bonding
"Our findings
suggest that social interactions that stimulate oxytocin production will
recruit this newly identified circuit to help coordinate the complex behavioral
responses elicited by changing social situations in all mammals, including
humans," says senior study author Nathaniel Heintz of The Rockefeller
University. "Future investigation of the exact mechanisms responsible for
activation of this interesting circuit may provide insights into autism spectrum
disorder and other social behavioral disorders."
Oxytocin-responsive
neurons are found in many brain structures, highlighting the importance of the
hormone for a variety of social behaviors. But it is not clear which cells are
targeted by oxytocin, or how the hormone affects neural circuits. One potential
clue came when lead study author Miho Nakajima of The Rockefeller University
discovered a population of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex that express
the oxytocin receptor. When the researchers disrupted the activity of these
neurons, female mice lost interest in male mice during estrus and spent about
the same amount of time with them as with a plastic Lego block. By contrast,
these females retained a normal level of social interest in other females
during estrus, and in male mice when not in estrus. Moreover, the social
behavior of male mice was unaffected by the silencing of these neurons.
Taken together, the
findings show that the new class of oxytocin-responsive neurons regulates an
important aspect of female social behavior in mice. "Our work highlights
the importance of the prefrontal cortex in social and sexual behaviors and
suggests that this critical cell population may mediate other aspects of
behavior in response to the elevated oxytocin levels that occur in a variety of
different contexts," Heintz says.
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