The pituitary neuropeptide oxytocin promotes social behavior, and is a potential adjunct therapy for social deficits in schizophrenia and autism. Oxytocin may mediate pro-social effects by modulating monoamine release in limbic and cortical areas, which was investigated herein using in vivo microdialysis, after establishing a dose that did not produce accompanying sedative or thermoregulatory effects that could concomitantly influence behavior. The effects of oxytocin (0.03-0.3 mg/kg subcutaneous) on locomotor activity, core body temperature, and social behavior (social interaction and ultrasonic vocalizations) were examined in adult male Lister-hooded rats, using selective antagonists to determine the role of oxytocin and vasopressin V1a receptors. Dopamine and serotonin efflux in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of conscious rats were assessed using microdialysis. 0.3 mg/kg oxytocin modestly reduced activity and caused hypothermia but only the latter was attenuated by the V1a receptor antagonist, SR49059 (1 mg/kg intraperitoneal). Oxytocin at 0.1 mg/kg, which did not alter activity and had little effect on temperature, significantly attenuated phencyclidine-induced hyperactivity and increased social interaction between unfamiliar rats without altering the number or pattern of ultrasonic vocalizations. In the same rats, oxytocin (0.1 mg/kg) selectively elevated dopamine overflow in the nucleus accumbens, but not prefrontal cortex, without influencing serotonin efflux. Systemic oxytocin administration attenuated phencyclidine-induced hyperactivity and increased pro-social behavior without decreasing core body temperature and selectively enhanced nucleus accumbens dopamine release, consistent with activation of mesocorticolimbic circuits regulating associative/reward behavior being involved. This highlights the therapeutic potential of oxytocin to treat social behavioral deficits seen in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

中文翻译：

---

Oxytocin 可减轻苯环利定多动并增加大鼠的社交互动和伏隔核多巴胺释放。

垂体神经肽催产素促进社会行为，是精神分裂症和自闭症社会缺陷的潜在辅助疗法。催产素可以通过调节边缘和皮质区域的单胺释放来介导亲社会效应，在确定不产生可能伴随影响行为的镇静或体温调节作用的剂量后，本文使用体内微透析对此进行了研究。使用选择性拮抗剂确定催产素的作用，在成年雄性 Lister 头罩大鼠中检查催产素（0.03-0.3 mg/kg 皮下）对运动活动、核心体温和社会行为（社会互动和超声波发声）的影响和加压素 V1a 受体。使用微透析评估清醒大鼠前额叶皮层和伏隔核中的多巴胺和血清素流出。0.3 mg/kg 催产素适度降低活性并导致体温过低，但只有后者被 V1a 受体拮抗剂 SR49059（1 mg/kg 腹膜内）减弱。0.1 mg/kg 的催产素不改变活性且对温度几乎没有影响，显着减弱苯环利定诱导的多动症并增加不熟悉的大鼠之间的社交互动，而不会改变超声波发声的数量或模式。在同一只大鼠中，催产素（0.1 mg/kg）选择性地提高伏隔核中的多巴胺溢出，但不影响前额叶皮层，而不影响血清素的流出。全身性催产素给药减弱了苯环利定诱导的多动症并增加了亲社会行为，而不会降低核心体温并选择性地增强伏隔核多巴胺的释放，这与调节所涉及的关联/奖励行为的中皮质边缘回路的激活一致。这凸显了催产素在治疗精神分裂症等精神疾病中的社会行为缺陷方面的治疗潜力。