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Oxytocin as a natural antipsychotic: a study using oxytocin knockout mice

H K Caldwell1, S L Stephens, W S Young

  • 1Section on Neural Gene Expression, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892-4483, USA.

Molecular Psychiatry
|January 30, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Oxytocin (Oxt) may function as an antipsychotic. Studies show oxytocin gene disruption in mice heightened susceptibility to PCP, suggesting Oxt influences glutamatergic pathways involved in psychosis.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Oxytocin (Oxt) is implicated as a potential natural antipsychotic agent.
  • Schizophrenia and related disorders exhibit sensorimotor gating deficits, measurable via prepulse inhibition (PPI).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of oxytocin in modulating psychosis-related behaviors.
  • To determine if oxytocin gene disruption (Oxt-/-) increases susceptibility to psychotomimetic drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized knockout mice (Oxt-/-) and wild-type littermates (Oxt+/+).
  • Administered amphetamine (Amp), apomorphine (Apo), and phencyclidine (PCP) to assess drug-induced changes in PPI.
  • Measured PPI as an indicator of sensorimotor gating.

Main Results:

  • Amphetamine, apomorphine, and PCP all affected PPI in mice.
  • Phencyclidine (PCP) induced significant PPI deficits specifically in Oxt-/- mice, but not in Oxt+/+ mice.
  • These findings indicate that the absence of oxytocin alters the glutamatergic system's role in PPI.

Conclusions:

  • Oxytocin plays a crucial role in regulating sensorimotor gating.
  • The absence of oxytocin exacerbates PCP-induced deficits, highlighting its influence on the glutamatergic system.
  • Oxytocin's antipsychotic potential may be linked to its modulation of NMDA receptor function.

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