Amino Acid Sequence

Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 [Disulfide Bridge: 1-6]

Application

Oxytocin acetate salt hydrate has been used in cell proliferation assay and is used in experiments to study the effect of oxytocin in the prelimbic (PL) region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) on anxiety. It is used as a marker in receptor autoradiography to assess nonspecific tissue binding in the periphery of the neonatal mouse.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin hormone plays a vital role in regulation of water excretion, parturition and lactation. OXT has been implicated in hydromineral homeostasis and vascular and cardiac relaxation. Oxytocin might function as an effective therapeutic for psychiatric diseases, including depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and autism. OXT has a potential as a marker of autism severity. OXT is an anorexigenic neuropeptide, which is implicated in social cognition and obsessive-compulsive behavior. Plasma oxytocin levels are high in children with Prader-willi syndrome (PWS) compared with unrelated and unaffected siblings. Deficiency of OXT hormone might contribute to pathogenesis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Stimulates uterine contraction and lactation; increases Na⁺ excretion; stimulates myometrial GTPase and phospholipase C.

General description

Oxytocin (OXT) is a potent natriuretic hormone encoded by the gene mapped to human chromosome 20p13. It is synthesized along with its carrier protein neurophysin I from its inactive precursor prepro-OXT. OXT gene consists of three exons and two introns, where first exon codes for hormone OXT while other exon codes for neurophysin I.