A possible role for oxytocin in the response to a psychological stressor

Recent evidence suggests that oxytocin (OXT) potentiates corticotropin releasing factor-induced secretion of ACTH. The present study was therefore designed to investigate the possible role of oxytocin in the response to predictable and unpredictable novelty stress. The results clearly demonstrate that oxytocin produced a significant increase in corticosterone in all OXT treated animals. Repeated unpredictable exposure also produced a more substantial increase in corticosterone than predictable exposure to the same stressor. However, a significant interaction between stress and oxytocin was not obtained. It was concluded that whereas corticosterone is released in response to most types of stress, administration of oxytocin does not potentiate the corticosterone response to psychological stress.