Oxytocin stress responses are dependent upon emotionality.
Comparison of posterior pituitary responses to stress in rat strains with contrasting emotionality has revealed an inverse relationship between oxytocin (OT) responses and emotional reactivity. The plasma OT and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) responses to stress were determined in two psychogenetically selected strains of rat, Roman high avoidance (RHA) and Roman low avoidance (RLA), RLA's being more emotionally reactive than RHA's. Following 1 min immobilisation stress, plasma levels of OT were significantly higher in RHA's compared to RLA's. This finding correlates with the previous demonstration of a sex difference in the OT stress response, females having a higher response than males. Plasma levels of AVP were not significantly modified by immobilization in either strain of rat. However, control levels of AVP were markedly raised in both male and female RHA's.
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000378:metabolism*; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013045:Species Specificity
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin