TY - JOUR
T1 - Oxytocin
T2 - A therapeutic target for mental disorders
AU - Matsuzaki, Mitsuhiro
AU - Matsushita, Hiroaki
AU - Tomizawa, Kazuhito
AU - Matsui, Hideki
PY - 2012/11
Y1 - 2012/11
N2 - We review here that oxytocin (OT) is released into blood and within distinct brain regions in response to stressful and social stimuli, and has been shown to have an antidepressant-like effect in animal studies. Clinical reports suggest OT to be a promising drug for psychiatric diseases such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and autism. OT may also have therapeutic potential in the treatment of major depressive disorders, even though OT administered into blood does not readily cross the blood- brain barrier. Physiological functions such as sexual activity and mating induce the release of OT in the central nervous system. A drug for the treatment of sexual dysfunction, sildenafil, enhances the electrically evoked release of OT from the posterior pituitary. This drug has antidepressant-like effects through activation of an OT signaling pathway. These results suggest that sildenafil may have promise as a potential antidepressant.
AB - We review here that oxytocin (OT) is released into blood and within distinct brain regions in response to stressful and social stimuli, and has been shown to have an antidepressant-like effect in animal studies. Clinical reports suggest OT to be a promising drug for psychiatric diseases such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and autism. OT may also have therapeutic potential in the treatment of major depressive disorders, even though OT administered into blood does not readily cross the blood- brain barrier. Physiological functions such as sexual activity and mating induce the release of OT in the central nervous system. A drug for the treatment of sexual dysfunction, sildenafil, enhances the electrically evoked release of OT from the posterior pituitary. This drug has antidepressant-like effects through activation of an OT signaling pathway. These results suggest that sildenafil may have promise as a potential antidepressant.
KW - CREB
KW - Depression
KW - MAP kinase
KW - Oxytocin
KW - Sildenafil
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U2 - 10.1007/s12576-012-0232-9
DO - 10.1007/s12576-012-0232-9
M3 - Review article
C2 - 23007624
AN - SCOPUS:84868543521
VL - 62
SP - 441
EP - 444
JO - Journal of Physiological Sciences
JF - Journal of Physiological Sciences
SN - 1880-6546
IS - 6
ER -