Interaction Between Oxytocin and Dopamine Signaling: Focus on the Striatum

Striatum can be described as a brain region containing a general neuronal mechanism to associate actions or events with reward. In particular, neural activity in the human striatum is modulated by social actions and, critically, by the conjunction of social actions and own reward. To perform this function, dopamine and oxytocin signaling reaching the striatum represent a key factor. These neurotransmitters, in both humans and animals, are released in response to afferent vagal and sensory stimulation, as well as sexual and social interactions, conveying information related to reward and pleasure associated with an event. Dopamine and oxytocin have several effects in common, but of particular interest is evidence indicating that they can mutually modulate their action. The present review focuses on available data delineating interactions between dopaminergic and oxytocinergic signaling in the striatum. In this context, recent data on the possible role played by striatal astrocytes and microglia as key modulators of this crosstalk will be briefly discussed.