BACKGROUND Oxytocin administration, which may be of therapeutic value for individuals with social difficulties, is likely to affect endogenous levels of other socially relevant hormones. However, to date, the effects of oxytocin administration on endogenous hormones have only been examined in neurotypical individuals. The need to consider multi-hormone interactions is particularly warranted in oxytocin trials for autism due to evidence of irregularities in both oxytocin and sex steroid systems. METHODS In this double-blind cross-over study, saliva samples were collected from 16 autistic and 29 neurotypical women before and after intranasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin or placebo. Oestradiol, testosterone, and oxytocin levels were quantified in saliva samples. Participants also completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and Empathy Quotient (EQ) questionnaires. RESULTS Distinct patterns of change in testosterone and oestradiol levels pre- to-post-administration were observed in autistic relative to neurotypical women (ANCOVA, p < 0.05 main effect of Group), controlling for sample collection time. The mean percent change oestradiol was + 8.8% for the autism group and - 13.0% for the neurotypical group (t = 1.81, p = 0.08), while the mean percent change testosterone was + 1.1% in the autism group and - 12.6% in the neurotypical group (t = 1.26, p = 0.22). In the oxytocin condition, the mean percent change oestradiol was + 12.6% in the autism group and - 6.9% in the neurotypical group (t = 1.78, p = 0.08), while the mean percent change testosterone was + 14.4% in the autism group and - 15.2% in the neurotypical group (t = 3.00, p = 0.006). Robust regression confirmed that group differences in percent change hormone levels were not driven by a small number of influential individuals. Baseline hormone levels did not differ between groups when considered individually. However, baseline testosterone relative to oestradiol (T:E2 ratio) was higher in autistic women (p = 0.023, Cohen's d = 0.63), and this ratio correlated positively and negatively with AQ and EQ scores, respectively, in the combined sample. LIMITATIONS Further studies with larger and more diverse autistic sample are warranted to confirm these effects. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first evidence that oxytocin influences endogenous testosterone levels in autistic individuals, with autistic women showing increases similar to previous reports of neurotypical men. These findings highlight the need to consider sex steroid hormones as a variable in future oxytocin trials.

中文翻译：

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服用催产素对自闭症和神经性典型女性唾液性激素水平的影响。

背景技术催产素的给药可能对有社会困难的个体具有治疗价值，可能会影响其他与社会相关的激素的内源性水平。但是，迄今为止，仅在神经型个体中检查了催产素对内源激素的作用。在催产素治疗自闭症的试验中，特别需要考虑多激素相互作用，这是因为催产素和性类固醇系统均存在不规则现象。方法在这项双盲交叉研究中，在鼻内施用24 IU催产素或安慰剂之前和之后，从16名自闭症和29名神经型妇女中收集了唾液样本。唾液样品中的雌二醇，睾丸激素和催产素水平被定量。参与者还完成了自闭症频谱商（AQ）和移情商（EQ）问卷。结果在自闭症患者中，相对于典型神经元妇女（ANCOVA，p <0.05，该组的主要作用），观察到睾丸激素和雌二醇水平的明显变化模式，控制了样本采集时间。自闭症组的雌二醇平均变化百分数为+ 8.8％，神经型组为-13.0％（t = 1.81，p = 0.08），而自闭症组的睾丸激素平均变化百分数为+ 1.1％，而自闭症组为-12.6％。神经型组（t = 1.26，p = 0.22）。在催产素条件下，自闭症组雌二醇的平均变化百分数为+ 12.6％，而神经典型组为-6.9％（t = 1.78，p = 0.08），而自闭症组的平均睾丸激素变化百分数为+ 14.4％和-15。在神经型组中为2％（t = 3.00，p = 0.006）。稳健的回归结果证实，少数有影响力的人并没有导致激素水平变化的组差异。单独考虑时，两组之间的基线激素水平无差异。然而，自闭症女性的基线睾丸激素相对于雌二醇的比例更高（T：E2比率）（p = 0.023，Cohen d = 0.63），并且该比率在合并样本中分别与AQ和EQ得分呈正相关和负相关。局限性有必要对更大，更多样化的自闭症样本进行进一步研究，以证实这些影响。结论这项研究提供了第一个证据，证明催产素会影响自闭症个体的内源性睾丸激素水平，自闭症女性的增加与以前的神经型男性的报道相似。