Oxytocin, popularly known as the love hormone, plays a crucial role in regulating social and maternal behavior. The oxytocin system in the brain has received a great amount of attention in recent years as key to new treatments for a number of mental health disorders, such as anxiety, postpartum depression, and autism spectrum disorders. A new study led by a biologist and his students at LSU sheds light on how oxytocin can be linked to “maternal instinct.”
[They] have discovered a group of cells that are activated by oxytocin in one area of female mouse brains that are not present in the same area in male mouse brains.
"Many researchers have attempted to investigate the difference between the oxytocin system in females versus males, but no one has successfully found conclusive evidence until now. Our discovery was a big surprise," said Ryoichi Teruyama, LSU Department of Biological Sciences associate professor, who led this study published in PLOS ONE.
The oxytocin receptor cells are present in the brain area thought to be involved in the regulation of maternal behavior. Moreover, the expression of oxytocin receptors in these cells are only present when estrogen is also present. These imply that these cells are involved in inducing maternal behavior. In addition, it confirms what many recent human studies have shown: there is a connection between an altered expression of oxytocin receptors and postpartum depression.
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This new discovery that occurred at LSU opens doors to potential new treatments and drugs for postpartum depression targeting oxytocin receptor cells.
"I think our discovery could be universal to all mammals that exhibit maternal behavior, including humans," Teruyama said.
(Image Credit: tiburi/ Pixabay)
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