title: Sedative effects of intranasal oxytocin in rabbits and rhesus monkeys.
abstract: Oxytocin is a hormone therapeutically used mainly for its peripheral effects during pregnancy in the uterus and breasts. However, additional central effects, i.e. anxiolytic effect, decreased level of social stress and increased empathy have been also observed. Hence, the aim of our study was to evaluate if nasal oxytocin can be used as anxiolytic substance in rhesus monkeys (n=20) and rabbits (n=20). Simultaneously, mean arterial blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation of hemoglobin and pulse rate were monitored in all the evaluated animals. While rabbits lost righting reflex, monkeys developed a dose-dependent loss of aggressiveness and/or anxiety as evaluated by behavioral methods (aggressive behavior was classified as non-sedated - sedated - strongly sedated).
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory of Experimental Anesthesiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Pharmacology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. slivaj@seznam.cz.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Votava
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Málek
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurzová
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slíva
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D010121:Oxytocin