The DOI matches its Crossref record; 65 of the 65 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The acute effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on endocrine and sexual function in males
Open accessAbstract
The role of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) ranges from the modulation of neuroendocrine physiological effects to the establishment of complex social and bonding behaviours. Experimental studies in animals, as well as case reports in humans, suggest that OT affects different aspects of sexual behaviour and has predominantly facilitating properties for sexual appetence and performance. Using a previously established experimental paradigm of sexual arousal and masturbation-induced orgasm, this study investigated the acute effects of intranasal OT application (24I.U.) on endocrine parameters and measures of sexual appetence and function in healthy men (n=10). In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced cross-over design, sexual arousal, and orgasm were induced by an erotic film and masturbation. In addition to the continuous recording of endocrine (OT, cortisol, prolactin, epinephrine, norepinephrine) and cardiovascular data (heart rate), parameters of appetitive, consummatory, and refractory sexual behaviour were assessed using the acute sexual experience scale (ASES). OT plasma levels were significantly elevated after intranasal OT throughout the whole experiment (>60 min). In addition, OT treatment induced significantly higher increases in epinephrine plasma levels during sexual activity without affecting cortisol levels, prolactin levels or heart rate. OT treatment did not alter appetitive, consummatory, and refractory sexual behaviour according to the ASES. However, when subjects were asked about their subjective perception of whether OT or placebo had been applied, eight out of 10 subjects in the OT group answered correctly, thus pointing to an altered perception of arousal. In conclusion, intranasally administered OT leads to a marked increase in OT plasma levels together with increased secretion of catecholamines when subjects are engaged in sexual activity in a laboratory setting. As the effects of OT on sexual behaviour were equivocal, future studies should examine possible facilitating effects further by including males, females, and couples in a field setting, taking into account that OT exerts the most prominent behavioural effects in pair bond formations.
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In the citing paper
“Because the links between central and peripheral OT are not fully understood, it is not clear whether plasma levels reflect central activity of the system, although studies in both humans and animals point to coordination between central and peripheral levels (Burri et al., 2008; Wotjak et al., 1998).”
From Oxytocin during the initial stages of romantic attachment: Relations to couples’ interactive reciprocity (2012) · cites this paper as Burri et al., 2008
In the citing paper
“Although the relationship between central and peripheral OT levels is not fully understood, both animal (29,66) and recent human (39) studies suggest that central and peripheral activity of the oxytocinergic system is coordinated.”
From Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans (2010) · cites this paper as [39]
In the citing paper
“The high level of stability found in basal OT levels may suggest that baseline OT levels are relatively stable during the postpartum period, except for moments of specific physiological processes such as breastfeeding or sexual intercourse that lead to considerable rise in OT but are short in duration (26,39–41).”
From Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans (2010) · cites this paper as [39]
In the citing paper
“The high stability in OT levels across a period of several months and the links reported between plasma OT with socioemotional and behavioral indicators of affiliation (27,28,30,39,67–69) support the validity of peripheral OT as a biomarker of affiliation processes.”
From Oxytocin and the development of parenting in humans (2010) · cites this paper as [39]
In the citing paper
“intranasal administration of OT has been shown to increase peripheral OT levels (31).”
From Oxytocin administration to parent enhances infant physiological and behavioral readiness for social engagement (2012) · cites this paper as [31]
In the citing paper
“both animal (71) and human studies (31) suggest that central and peripheral OT activity is coordinated”
From Oxytocin administration to parent enhances infant physiological and behavioral readiness for social engagement (2012) · cites this paper as [31]
In the citing paper
“Oxytocin is released during sexual arousal and orgasm (Blaicher et al., 1999, Burri et al., 2008, Carmichael et al., 1987, but see Kruger et al., 2003, Murphy et al., 1987).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Burri et al., 2008
In the citing paper
“Enhancement of oxytocin levels by intranasal administration prior to orgasm by masturbation results in increased catecholamine levels in the blood, heightened heart rate and increased perception of arousability (Burri et al., 2008).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Burri et al., 2008
In the citing paper
“intranasal oxytocin administration has been shown to reliably modulate neuropsychological functions in a series of studies (2–5) in the absence of relevant side effects (16).”
From Oxytocin Reduces Reward-Driven Food Intake in Humans (2013) · cites this paper as [2]
In the citing paper
“Research in humans has almost exclusively focused on the role of oxytocin in the regulation of prosocial behavior, including trust, attachment, and sexual behavior (2–5), largely ignoring potential effects of the neuropeptide on ingestive behavior and metabolism.”
From Oxytocin Reduces Reward-Driven Food Intake in Humans (2013) · cites this paper as [2]
In the citing paper
“Although intranasal oxytocin administration has been previously found to increase plasma concentrations of the peptide (2), this pattern moreover argues against a peripheral mediation of the observed changes in ingestive behavior.”
From Oxytocin Reduces Reward-Driven Food Intake in Humans (2013) · cites this paper as [2]
Citations
Cites
Oxytocin increases trust in humans
Kosfeld, M., Heinrichs, M., Zak, P. J., Fischbacher, U., & Fehr, E. (2005) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature03701 · Cited by 3,690
The oxytocin receptor system: structure, function, and regulation
Gimpl, G., & Fahrenholz, F. (2001) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.2001.81.2.629 · Cited by 3,089
Heinrichs, M., Baumgartner, T., Kirschbaum, C., & Ehlert, U. (2003) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(03)00465-7 · Cited by 2,091
The neurobiology of pair bonding.
Young, L. J., & Wang, Z. (2004) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn1327 · Cited by 1,523 · cited 1×
“More recently, it has been demonstrated that OT receptors are distributed over various brain areas (Landgraf and Neumann, 2004) associated with social behaviour, including sexual and parenting behaviours, affiliation and attachment, social memory, and reactivity to social stress in non-human mammals (Carter, 1998; Fer…”
BackgroundNeuroendocrine perspectives on social attachment and love
Sue Carter, C. (1998) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/s0306-4530(98)00055-9 · Cited by 1,425
Sniffing neuropeptides: A transnasal approach to the human brain
Born, J., Lange, T., Kern, W., McGregor, G. P., Bickel, U., & Fehm, H. L. (2002) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn0602-849 · Cited by 1,356
Oxytocin improves “mind-reading” in humans
Domes, G., Heinrichs, M., Michel, A., Berger, C., & Herpertz, S. C. (2007) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.07.015 · Cited by 1,298
The neurobiology of attachment
Insel, T. R., & Young, L. J. (2001) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/35053579 · Cited by 1,173
Social amnesia in mice lacking the oxytocin gene
Ferguson, J. N., Young, L. J., Hearn, E. F., Matzuk, M. M., Insel, T. R., & Winslow, J. T. (2000) · Nature Genetics · doi:10.1038/77040 · Cited by 1,130
Landgraf, R., & Neumann, I. D. (2004) · Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2004.05.001 · Cited by 1,059
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Oxytocin and vasopressin in the human brain: social neuropeptides for translational medicine
Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Domes, G., Kirsch, P., & Heinrichs, M. (2011) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn3044 · Cited by 1,688
“However, OXT did not affect appetitive, consummatory and refractory sexual behaviour in me”
BackgroundSelf-citationOxytocin: The Great Facilitator of Life
Lee, H.-J., Macbeth, A. H., Pagani, J., & Young, W. S. (2009) · Progress in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2009.04.001 · Cited by 1,037
“In men, intranasal inhalation of Oxt significantly increases plasma Oxt and epinephrine levels for at least 1 h, and increases self-perception of arousal during masturbation (Burri et al., 2008).”
The oxytocin receptor: from intracellular signaling to behavior
Jurek, B., & Neumann, I. D. (2018) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00031.2017 · Cited by 999
“OXT, men were faster to detect the valence of positive stimuli conceptually associated with sexuality, bonding, and social relationships (1038) and had augmented epinephrine plasma responses to sexual activity (135).”
BackgroundOxytocin, vasopressin, and human social behavior
Heinrichs, M., von Dawans, B., & Domes, G. (2009) · Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2009.05.005 · Cited by 799
“However, intranasal 24 IU OT treatment did not alter appetitive, consummatory, and refractory sexual behavior in men [22].”
BackgroundFeldman, R., Gordon, I., Schneiderman, I., Weisman, O., & Zagoory-Sharon, O. (2010) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.01.013 · Cited by 638
“However, it should be remembered that Burri et al. (2008) used an intranasal administration of OT and Wotjak et al. (1998) found coordination between OT increase in the supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus and in plasma OT levels following an exposure to stress, and both paradigms differs from the…”
BackgroundMethod
Metadata
- Authors
- Burri, A., Heinrichs, M., Schedlowski, M., & Kruger, T. H. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich (CH)
- University of Duisburg-Essen (DE)
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-06
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 591-600
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2059337320
- Cited by
- 168
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 11.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion)
- Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
- FreiDok plus (Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Keywords
- oxytocin, intranasal administration, sexual behavior, sexual arousal, orgasm, plasma oxytocin, epinephrine, catecholamines, cortisol, prolactin, heart rate
- MeSH terms
- Administration, Intranasal, Adult, Double-Blind Method, Endocrine System, Epinephrine, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Middle Aged, Norepinephrine, Orgasm, Oxytocics, Oxytocin, Prolactin, Psychometrics, Sexual Behavior, Time Factors, Cross-Over Studies
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