title: Targeting the Oxytocin System to Treat Addictive Disorders: Rationale and Progress to Date.
abstract: The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a role in reward, stress, social affiliation, learning, and memory processes. As such, there is increasing interest in oxytocin as a potential treatment for addictions. The endogenous oxytocin system is itself altered by short- or long-term exposure to drugs of abuse. A large number of preclinical studies in rodents have investigated the effect of oxytocin administration on various drug-induced behaviors to determine whether oxytocin can reverse the neuroadaptations occurring with repeated drug and alcohol use. In addition, the mechanisms by which oxytocin acts to modify the behavioral response to drugs of abuse are beginning to be understood. More recently, a few small clinical studies have been conducted in cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol dependence. This review summarizes the preclinical as well as clinical literature to date on the oxytocin system and its relevance to drug and alcohol addiction.
authors.affiliation: Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and National Institute on Drug Abuse, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1108, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1108, USA. leemary@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Mary R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and National Institute on Drug Abuse, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1108, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1108, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew C H
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rohn
authors.affiliation: Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tanda
authors.affiliation: Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and National Institute on Drug Abuse, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1108, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1108, USA.|Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leggio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D010121:Oxytocin