Oxytocin-induced penile erection and yawning: site of action in the brain
Abstract
Microinjection of oxytocin into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus or into the CA1 field of the hippocampus induced a dose-dependent increase in the number of penile erection and yawning episodes in male rats. The minimal effective dose of oxytocin injected into the paraventricular nucleus was 3 ng. This dose induced the above-mentioned behaviors in 60% of the treated rats. Doses of 9 ng or higher induced the symptomatology in more than 85% of the animals. On the other hand, when the peptide was injected into the CA1 field of the hippocampus, 9 ng bilaterally were necessary to elicit penile erection and yawning in 62% of the rats. Arg8-vasopressin, which only differs from oxytocin in two amino acids, induced penile erection and yawning when injected either into the paraventricular nucleus or into the hippocampus, but was 5-10 times less potent than oxytocin. Oxytocin injection into the lateral septum, caudate nucleus, subiculum, preoptic area, ventromedial nucleus and supraoptic nucleus, was ineffective. The powerful effect of oxytocin on the induction of yawning and penile erection, suggests a physiological role of hypothalamic and hippocampal oxytocin in the regulation of such responses.
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Previously parvocellular OT neurons had only been directly implicated in non-social functions.
“previously parvocellular OT neurons had only been directly implicated in non-social functions (e.g. feeding, yawning, erection, cardiovascular function, pain (Althammer and Grinevich, 2017; Eliava et al., 2016; Melis et al., 1986; Petersson, 2002; Valassi et al., 2008))”
From Parallel social information processing circuits are differentially impacted in autism (2020) · cites this paper as Melis et al., 1986
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References 27 · Cited by 190
- Authors
- Melis, M. R., Argiolas, A., & Gessa, G. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Cagliari (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Argiolas, A.
- Venue
- Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1986-11
- Volume
- 398
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 259-265
- ISSN
- 0006-8993 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2088205204
- Cited by
- 190
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 13.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UNICA IRIS Institutional Research Information System (University of Cagliari) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Keywords
- oxytocin, penile erection, yawning, paraventricular nucleus, hippocampal CA1, [Arg8]vasopressin, lateral septum, preoptic area, supraoptic nucleus, caudate nucleus, subiculum, ventromedial hypothalamus, site of action, male rats, neuroendocrine regulation of behavior
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Arginine Vasopressin, Brain Mapping, Caudate Nucleus, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Male, Oxytocin, Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus, Penile Erection, Septum Pellucidum, Yawning, Rats
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