title: Oxytocin alleviates the neuroendocrine and cytokine response to bacterial endotoxin in healthy men.
abstract: Oxytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter found to have anti-inflammatory functions in rodents. Here we used experimental bacterial endotoxinemia to examine the role of exogenous oxytocin administration on innate immune responses in humans. Ten healthy men received, in a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design, placebo, oxytocin, LPS, and LPS + oxytocin. Oxytocin treatment resulted in a transient or prolonged reduction of endotoxin-induced increases in plasma ACTH, cortisol, procalcitonin, TNF-alpha, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-4, IL-6, macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha, macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interferon-inducible protein 10, and VEGF. In vitro, oxytocin had no impact on LPS effects in releasing TNF-alpha, IL-6, and MCP-1 in monocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy human donors. In summary, oxytocin decreases the neuroendocrine and cytokine activation caused by bacterial endotoxin in men, possibly due to the pharmacological modulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Oxytocin might be a candidate for the therapy of inflammatory diseases and conditions associated with high cytokine and VEGF levels.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medicine III, Medical Univ. of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria. martin.clodi@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clodi
authors.forename: Greisa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Geyeregger
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riedl
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Stulnig
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Struck
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Luger
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D004731:Endotoxins; D006728:Hormones; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D010121:Oxytocin