Intranasal oxytocin (IN OXT) has been proposed as a treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, little is known about the effects of long-term exposure. This is the first study in a non-human primate species to examine how developmental exposure to chronic IN OXT affects juvenile's interactions with family members, social preference for parents versus strangers, anxiety-like behavior, and cerebral glucose metabolism. Titi monkeys are socially monogamous and biparental; their family bonds share important characteristics with human family bonds. Fourteen males and 15 females were treated intranasally with saline (n = 14) or 0.8 IU/kg OXT (n = 15), daily from 12 to 18 months of age. Compared to SAL-treated animals, OXT-treated animals of both sexes spent significantly more time grooming other family members (F1 = 8.97, p = 0.006). Overall, OXT-treated subjects were more social (F1 = 8.35, p = 0.005) during preference tests. OXT-treated females displayed an enhanced preference for their parents (t = 2.265, p = 0.026). OXT-treated males had a blunted preference for their parents and an increase in the time spent near unfamiliar pairs (F1 = 10.89, p = 0.001). During anxiety tests, OXT-treated males refused to complete the task more often than SAL-treated males and had longer latencies (p < 0.0001). Neuroimaging studies revealed that OXT-treated animals had higher glucose uptake across the social salience network as a whole after one month of treatment (F1,9 = 1.07, p = 0.042). Our results suggest moderate prosocial effects of chronic IN OXT, that did not depend on anxiolytic properties. We also found important sex differences that should be considered in a translational context.

中文翻译：

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慢性鼻内催产素对幼猴行为和大脑葡萄糖摄取的影响

鼻内催产素 (IN OXT) 已被提议用于治疗自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD)；然而，人们对长期接触的影响知之甚少。这是第一项在非人类灵长类动物中研究慢性 IN OXT 的发育暴露如何影响青少年与家庭成员的互动、父母与陌生人的社会偏好、焦虑样行为和大脑葡萄糖代谢的研究。蒂蒂猴在社会上是一夫一妻制和双亲的；他们的家庭纽带与人类家庭纽带具有共同的重要特征。14 只雄性和 15 只雌性在 12 至 18 个月大时每天用生理盐水（n = 14）或 0.8 IU/kg OXT（n = 15）鼻内治疗。与 SAL 处理的动物相比，OXT 处理的两性动物花费更多的时间梳理其他家庭成员（F1 = 8.97，p = 0.006）。总体而言，在偏好测试中，接受 OXT 治疗的受试者更具社交性（F1 = 8.35，p = 0.005）。OXT 治疗的女性表现出对父母的增强偏好（t = 2.265，p = 0.026）。接受 OXT 治疗的雄性对其父母的偏好减弱，并且在不熟悉的配对附近花费的时间增加（F1 = 10.89，p = 0.001）。在焦虑测试期间，接受 OXT 治疗的男性比接受 SAL 治疗的男性拒绝完成任务的频率更高，并且延迟时间更长（p < 0.0001）。神经影像学研究表明，治疗一个月后，OXT 治疗的动物在整个社会显着性网络中具有更高的葡萄糖摄取量（F1,9 = 1.07，p = 0.042）。我们的研究结果表明慢性 IN OXT 的适度亲社会影响，不依赖于抗焦虑特性。