Oxytocin articles from across Nature Portfolio

A sensor for oxytocin reveals mechanisms of oxytocin action with high spatiotemporal precision.

Following fluorescently tagged oxytocin in hypothalamic nuclei of rats, its regulation by oestrogen and a variation of oxytocin dynamics between sexes is shown.

Recent years have seen a growing interest in the neurobiological basis of paternal caregiving. Feldman and colleagues review studies that have shed light on the circuits that underlie paternal care in mammals and the consequences of this care for fathers and their offspring.

In this Review, Elizabeth Lawson discusses the data that link oxytocin to eating behaviour and metabolism in humans. Although further investigation is required, Lawson suggests that the pathways involving oxytocin can be targeted in the treatment of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes mellitus.

There is emerging evidence that the interactions of oxytocin, GABAergic signals and stress molecules during birth can contribute to autism spectrum disorders. In this Opinion article, Ben-Ari suggests that, during birth, oxytocin can attenuate certain neurodevelopmental alterations, thereby attenuating the pathogenesis of autism in offspring.

In mice, loss of the autism risk gene Nlgn3 impairs oxytocin signalling and alters social behaviour.

In mice, maternal obesity induces differences in the gut microbiota of the offspring that can affect the development of social behaviour.

Parental care of offspring involves a complex array of innate behaviours and is influenced by a dopaminergic circuit within the hypothalamus that regulates circulating oxytocin levels.

Oxytocin tunes the responses of neurons in the left auditory cortex to pup calls and may thus promote pup retrieval by virgin female mice.