Oxytocin increases the survival of musculocutaneous flaps.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of oxytocin on survival of musculocutaneous flaps in male Sprague-Dawley rats. For this purpose oxytocin (0.1 or 1.0 mg/kg), an oxytocin antagonist (1-deamino-2-D-Tyr-(OEt)-4-Thr-8-Orn-oxytocin) (1.0 mg/kg) alone or in combination with oxytocin (1.0 mg/kg) or saline was given subcutaneously (s.c.), 24 hours and 1 hour before and 24 hours after flap surgery. In addition, oxytocin (1 microg/kg) or saline was given intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) according to the same schedule. Six days after surgery the amount of viable tissue was measured. Oxytocin 1.0 (but not 0.1) mg/kg s.c. and 1.0 microg/kg i.c.v. increased survival of the flaps (s.c.: 13.8+/-14.6% versus 6.10+/-5.45%; p<0.05 and i.c.v.: 25.5+/-14.0% versus 10.3+/-5.79%; p<0.01). This effect was abolished by the oxytocin antagonist. Furthermore, the oxytocin-treated rats had significantly higher plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) (p<0.05). These data indicate that oxytocin increases the survival of musculocutaneous flaps. The effect seems to be exerted within the central nervous system since a 1000 fold lower dose of oxytocin given i.c.v. increased flap survival to the same extent as the s.c. given dose. IGF-1 might be one of the mediators of this effect.
Department of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
M
M
Petersson
T
T
Lundeberg
A
A
Sohlström
U
U
Wiberg
K
K
Uvnäs-Moberg
D000818:Animals; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D013524:Surgical Flaps
D010121:Oxytocin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I