AI Article Synopsis
- Oxytocin is being studied as a potential treatment for psychostimulant use disorders, particularly its effects on dopamine signaling in the striatum, a brain region linked to natural rewards.
- In a study involving male rhesus macaques, oxytocin was administered both intranasally and intravenously before administering methylphenidate, a stimulant similar to cocaine, and the impacts on dopamine release were monitored.
- Results showed that oxytocin significantly decreased dopamine release in the dorsal striatum when stimulated by methylphenidate, suggesting oxytocin may be useful in treating addictions to psychostimulants.
Article Abstract
Background: Oxytocin is being evaluated as a potential treatment for psychostimulant use disorders. It is unknown what effect oxytocin has on dopamine signaling in response to psychostimulants in brain regions such as the striatum where oxytocin and dopamine interact to process natural rewards. We investigated the effect of oxytocin on striatal dopamine release stimulated by methylphenidate whose mechanism of action is analogous to that of cocaine.
Methods: We conducted an [11C] raclopride positron emission tomography study to assess striatal dopamine release in male rhesus macaques treated with oxytocin (80 IU) (administered via the intranasal [N = 5] and intravenous [N = 6] routes) followed by methylphenidate/[11C] raclopride.
Results: Oxytocin delivered by both routes significantly reduced methylphenidate-stimulated dopamine release in the dorsal striatum (caudate/putamen). These effects were, in part, evidenced by a reduction in dorsal striatal [11C] raclopride binding potential (increased dopamine release) following oxytocin administration.
Conclusions: The results provide translational and mechanistic evidence for the potential role of oxytocin as a treatment for psychostimulant use disorders.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyae056 | DOI Listing |
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11681423 | PMC |
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