The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is well known for its profound effects on social behavior, which appear to be mediated by an OT-dependent modulation of amygdala activity in the context of social stimuli. In humans, OT decreases amygdala reactivity to threatening faces in males, but enhances amygdala reactivity to similar faces in females, suggesting sex-specific differences in OT-dependent threa...

Using a combination of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to detect specific mRNA and immunohistochemistry employing antibodies that recognize two different epitopes for each molecule, the local production of oxytocin (OT) and its cognate receptor was investigated in the male marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus). There was synthesis of both OT and the oxytocin receptor (OTR) within...

Over the last decade, oxytocin (OT) has received focus in numerous studies associating intranasal administration of this peptide with various aspects of human social behavior. These studies in humans are inspired by animal research, especially in rodents, showing that central manipulations of the OT system affect behavioral phenotypes related to social cognition, including parental behavior, so...

These experiments were performed to study the effect of oxytocin (OT) and it's specific receptor on gallbladder motility in rabbits. The fasted New Zealand white rabbits (2.0-2.5 kg) were anaesthetized by urethane (1 g/kg). The gallbladder pressure was recorded continuously to monitor the gallbladder motility. Systemic OT (0.01, 0.02, 0.04 mg/kg, iv) did not affect the gallbladder pressure, but...

Despite the dominant role of the hormone oxytocin (OT) in social behavior, little is known about the role of OT in the perception of social relationships. Furthermore, it is unclear whether there are sex differences in the way that OT affects social perception. Here, we employed a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design to investigate the effect of OT on accurate social perception. Fo...

Oxytocin (OT) induces PG synthesis by both uterine endometrial and amnion cells. We showed previously that CHO cells stably transfected with the rat oxytocin receptor (CHO-OTR cells) also synthesize PGE2 in response to OT. In the present work we have demonstrated that OTRs are coupled to both Gi and Gq/11, using immunoprecipitation of solubilized OTR complexes and ADP ribosylation. OT treatment...

Twelve surface sediments from the southern Okinawa Trough (OT) and nine surface sediments from a nearby river, the Lanyang River (LR), with high sediment discharge were analyzed for comparison of their aliphatic hydrocarbon distributions. Performing cluster analysis on all hydrocarbon data of LR and OT sediments showed that the two areas had a similarity level of only 0.15, meaning that they we...

BACKGROUND The nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) has been repeatedly implicated in processes of parent-infant bonding in animal models; yet, its role in the development of human parenting has received less attention and no research has addressed the involvement of OT in the transition to fatherhood. METHODS Using a prospective longitudinal design, 160 cohabitating mothers and fathers and their firstb...

Laboratory mice drink little sucrose solution on initial exposure, but later develop a strong preference for sucrose over water that plateaus after a few days. Both the initial neophobia and later plateau of sucrose intake may involve central oxytocin (OT) signaling pathways. If so, then mice that lack the gene for OT [OT knockout (KO)] should exhibit enhanced initial and sustained sucrose inta...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a 9-month preventive occupational therapy (OT) program in the Well-Elderly Study: a randomized trial in independent-living older adults that found significant health, function, and quality of life benefits attributable to preventive OT. DESIGN A randomized trial. SETTING Two government-subsidized apartment complexes. PARTICIPANTS One hundre...