oxytocin (isoleucyl/leucyl vasopressin)

^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Function

induces labor
mediates excitatory-inhibitory shift of GABA receptors during delivery^[4]
facilitates the sensation of social stress^[3]
- higher plamsa levels are associated with better social functioning^[5]
enhances fear extinction by upregulating the medial prefrontal cortex inhibition of fear responses in the amygdala^[2]

↑ The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed. Gilman et al, eds. Permagon Press/McGraw Hill, 1996
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Eckstein M et al. Oxytocin facilitates the extinction of conditioned fear in humans. Biol Psychiatry 2014 Oct 29 <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25542304 <Internet> http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223%2814%2900795-1/abstract
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Eckstein M, Scheele D, Weber K et al Oxytocin facilitates the sensation of social stress. Hum Brain Mapp. 2014 Sep;35(9):4741-50 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24659430
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Tyzio R et al. Oxytocin-mediated GABA inhibition during delivery attenuates autism pathogenesis in rodent offspring. Science 2014 Feb 7; 343:675 <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24503856 <Internet> http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6171/620
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Geller B Does Oxytocin Improve Autism? Physician's First Watch, Nov 16, 2015 David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief Massachusetts Medical Society http://www.jwatch.org
Parker KJ, Garner JP, Libove RA et al Plasma oxytocin concentrations and OXTR polymorphisms predict social impairments in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Aug 19;111(33):12258-63 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25092315