Oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei bidirectionally modulate food intake.

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide produced in the paraventricular (PVH) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of the hypothalamus. Either peripheral or central administration of OT suppresses food intake through reductions in meal size. However, pharmacological approaches do not differentiate whether observed effects are mediated by OT neurons located in the PVH or in the SON.

Hippocampus Oxytocin Signaling Promotes Prosocial Eating in Rats.

Background: Oxytocin (OT) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide involved in diverse physiological and behavioral functions, including social-based behavior and food intake control. The extent to which OT's role in regulating these 2 fundamental behaviors is interconnected is unknown, which is a critical gap in knowledge given that social factors have a strong influence on eating behavior in mammals. Here, we focus on OT signaling in the dorsal hippocampus (HPCd), a brain region recently linked to eating and social memory, as a candidate system where these functions overlap.