Oxytocin in corticosterone-induced chronic stress model: Focus on adrenal gland function

• Published in: Psychoneuroendocrinology Vol. 80; pp. 137 - 146
• Main Authors: Stanić, Dušanka, Plećaš-Solarović, Bosiljka, Mirković, Duško, Jovanović, Predrag, Dronjak, Slađana, Marković, Bojan, Đorđević, Tea, Ignjatović, Svetlana, Pešić, Vesna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2017
• Subjects: Adrenal gland; Adrenal Glands - metabolism; Adrenal Glands - physiology; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - metabolism; Animals; Body Weight - physiology; Catecholamines; Catecholamines - metabolism; Chronic Disease; Chronic stress model; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Epinephrine - metabolism; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - metabolism; Male; Norepinephrine - metabolism; Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism; Oxytocin; Oxytocin - metabolism; Oxytocin - physiology; Pituitary-Adrenal System - metabolism; Psychiatry; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Stress, Psychological - chemically induced; Stress, Psychological - metabolism; Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins - metabolism; NAT; A; hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis; SAS; ACTH; adrenocorticotropic hormone; LC–MS/MS; Chronic stress model; OXY; adrenaline; VMAT2; noradrenaline; Adrenal gland; HPLC; oxytocin; sympatho-adrenal system; vesicular monoamine transporter 2; noradrenaline transporter; Catecholamines; CORT; high performance liquid chromatography; liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry; NA; HPA; corticosterone; Oxytocin; Corticosterone
• ISSN: 0306-4530; 1873-3360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.011

Highlights • Oxytocin prevented corticosterone-induced decrease in body weight gain and attenuated adrenal gland atrophy. • Oxytocin caused prominent medullary vasodilatation, and stimulated expression of catecholamine transporters NAT and VMAT2. • In chronic stress model oxytocin treatment reversed adrenaline and noradrenaline response to acute stress. • Oxytocin, by influencing adrenal gland morphology and capacity, may be beneficial in conditions accompanied with high glucocorticoid levels.