Vaginocervical stimulation releases oxytocin within the spinal cord in rats
Abstract
Vaginocervical stimulation (VS) significantly elevated the concentration of oxytocin (OT) in spinal cord superfusates of 8 intact urethane-anesthetized rats measured 10-15 min after VS (median [interquartile range]: 1.7 [1.00-3.37] pg/ml) compared to that measured 10-15 min before VS (1.1 [1.01-1.40] pg/ml). When VS was administered once (n = 8), it produced a 55% increase over baseline values; when administered a second time 45 min later (n = 6), it produced only a 22% increase over pre-VS values. The effects of estrogen on the VS-induced release of OT were then investigated using ovariectomized rats that were treated either with estradiol benzoate (EB; 10 microg/100 g bw) (n = 6) or with an oil vehicle (n = 6) subcutaneously for 3 days. The EB treatment significantly elevated the basal levels of OT released into spinal cord superfusates above vehicle control levels. Within 5-10 min after the onset of VS, OT concentrations in the superfusates were significantly higher in EB-treated than in vehicle-treated rats. The vehicle-treated rats did not show a significant elevation in OT concentration following VS. To rule out the possibility that the posterior pituitary gland was the source of this OT, the effect of hypophysectomy (HYPOX) was assessed on the VS-induced release of OT into spinal cord superfusates and plasma. The concentration of OT in spinal cord superfusates of both the HYPOX (n = 5) and intact rats (n = 6) increased significantly from 5.8 [4.4-6.5] pg/ml pre-VS to 7.9 [6.7-10.3] pg/ml immediately after VS, and from 4.4 [3.8-5] pg/ml pre-VS to 5.1 [4.6-5.7] pg/ml immediately after VS, respectively. There was no significant difference in baseline levels of OT in cerebrospinal fluid between the two groups. By contrast, plasma OT levels, while significantly elevated in response to VS from 3.42 [2.9-5.34] pg/ml baseline to 7.25 [5.33-15.77] pg/ml in the intact group, failed to respond significantly to VS in the HYPOX group (n = 5). The present findings provide evidence of a direct estrogen-dependent release of OT within the spinal cord in response to VS, presumably via descending oxytocinergic neurons.
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Early life social relationships can alter the adult OT system.
“There is evidence that early life social relationships can alter the adult OT system.”
From Oxytocin and the Neural Mechanisms Regulating Social Cognition and Affiliative Behavior (2009) · cites this paper as [118]
Women who experienced early childhood abuse or neglect had significantly lower levels of OT in their CSF compared to women who did not experience early abuse or neglect.
“Women who experienced early childhood abuse or neglect had significantly lower levels of OT in their CSF compared to women who did not experience early abuse or neglect [118].”
From Oxytocin and the Neural Mechanisms Regulating Social Cognition and Affiliative Behavior (2009) · cites this paper as [118]
Mating-induced effects, specifically vaginocervical stimulation in rodents and sheep, and orgasm in men and women, increase plasma oxytocin levels, whilst vaginocervical stimulation in prairie voles increases oxytocin levels in the brain.
“Mating-induced effects, specifically vaginocervical stimulation in rodents (Sansone et al., 2002) and sheep (Kendrick et al., 1986), and orgasm in men and women (Ogawa et al., 1980; Carmichael et al., 1987) increase plasma oxytocin levels, whilst vaginocervical stimulation in prairie voles increases oxytocin levels in the brain (Ross et al., 2009a,b).”
From Endogenous peripheral oxytocin measures can give insight into the dynamics of social relationships: a review (2014) · cites this paper as Sansone et al., 2002
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- Authors
- Sansone, G. R., Gerdes, C. A., Steinman, J. L., Winslow, J. T., Ottenweller, J. E., Komisaruk, B. R., & Insel, T. R.
- Affiliations
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Emory University (US)
- East Orange VA Medical Center (US)
- Venue
- Neuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2002
- Volume
- 75
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 306-315
- ISSN
- 0028-3835 (ISSN-L)
- 1423-0194
- OpenAlex
- W1998891170
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 4.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Keywords
- vaginocervical stimulation, oxytocin release, spinal cord, estrogen, estradiol benzoate, hypophysectomy, neurohypophysis, plasma oxytocin, oxytocin receptor, vagus nerve, uterine cervix, uterus, rats, ovariectomized rats
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cervix Uteri, Estradiol, Female, Hypophysectomy, Oxytocin, Perfusion, Physical Stimulation, Spinal Cord, Vagina, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Rats
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