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Neuroendocrine and psychophysiological investigation of the evolutionary roots of gossip. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3117. [PMID: 36813906 PMCID: PMC9946955 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30126-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigates an evolutionary hypothesis of gossip postulating that in humans it serves a similar function as social grooming in other primates. It examines whether gossip decreases physiological markers of stress and increases markers of positive emotionality and sociability. Dyads of friends (N = 66) recruited at the university, participated in an experiment where they experienced a stressor followed by social interaction (gossip or control task). Individual levels of salivary cortisol and [Formula: see text]-endorphins were assessed at before and after social interactions. Sympathetic activity and parasympathetic activity were monitored throughout the experiment. Individual differences in Tendency and Attitude towards Gossip were investigated as potential covariates. Gossip condition was characterized with increased sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, but did not differ in cortisol or [Formula: see text]-endorphins levels. However, high Tendency to Gossip was associated with decreases in cortisol. Gossip was shown to be more emotionally salient than non-social talk, but the evidence with regard to lowering stress was not sufficient to support an analogy to social grooming.
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Santangelo OE, Provenzano S, Firenze A. Risk Factors for Addictive Behaviors: A General Overview. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116583. [PMID: 35682170 PMCID: PMC9180507 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandro Provenzano
- Local Health Unit of Trapani, ASP Trapani, 91100 Trapani, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Alberto Firenze
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (ProMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
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Rung JM, Kidder QA, Horta M, Nazarloo HP, Carter CS, Berry MS, Ebner NC. Associations between alcohol use and peripheral, genetic, and epigenetic markers of oxytocin in a general sample of young and older adults. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2425. [PMID: 35146961 PMCID: PMC8933764 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human and nonhuman animal research suggests that greater oxytocin (OT) activity is protective against harmful substance use. Most research on this topic is preclinical, with few studies evaluating the association between substance use and individual differences in the human OT system. The present study sought to fill this gap by evaluating the relationship between alcohol use and multiple biological measures of OT activity in an overall low to moderate-drinking sample. METHOD As part of a larger study, generally healthy young (n = 51) and older (n = 53) adults self-reported whether they regularly used alcohol and how much alcohol they consumed per week. Participants also provided blood samples from which peripheral OT, and in an age-heterogeneous subset of participants (n = 56) variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (the OXTR rs53576 polymorphism) and OXTR DNA methylation levels (at cytosine-guanine dinucleotide sites -860, -924, -934), were obtained. RESULTS A-allele carriers of the OXTR rs53579 polymorphism were less likely to regularly consume alcohol. Among regular alcohol consumers, number of alcoholic drinks per week was positively associated with peripheral OT in regression models excluding observations of high influence (postdiagnostic models). Number of alcoholic drinks per week was consistently negatively associated with OXTR DNA methylation at site -860; and with OXTR DNA methylation at site -924 in postdiagnostic models. CONCLUSIONS The significant associations between alcohol use and individual differences in OT activity support the involvement of the OT system in alcohol use, which most likely reflect the role of OT when alcohol use is under control of its rewarding properties and/or the acute impacts of alcohol on the OT system. Additional research with markers of OT activity and alcohol use, particularly longitudinal, is needed to clarify the bidirectional effects of OT and alcohol use in moderate to harmful drinking and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Rung
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Quintin A Kidder
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - H P Nazarloo
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - C Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Meredith S Berry
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence (PRICE), College of Medicine, Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence (PRICE), College of Medicine, Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Aging & Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Roschina OV, Levchuk LA, Boiko AS, Michalitskaya EV, Epimakhova EV, Losenkov IS, Simutkin GG, Loonen AJM, Bokhan NA, Ivanova SA. Beta-Endorphin and Oxytocin in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder and Comorbid Depression. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10235696. [PMID: 34884397 PMCID: PMC8658665 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10235696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The neuropeptides β-endorphin and oxytocin are released into the bloodstream as hormones from the pituitary gland but also have an important function as neuroregulators in the forebrain. The blood levels of both polypeptides have been shown to reflect depressive symptoms. β-Endorphin, in particular, is also involved in abstinence from alcohol. Methods: The serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin were measured during the early withdrawal phase in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) with (N = 35) or without (N = 45) depressive comorbidity and compared with those in healthy volunteers (N = 23). In addition to comparing the groups, the study examined whether serum levels correlated with various psychometric measures of dependence, depression and aggression, as well as with clinical characteristics of dependence. Results: Both serum levels of beta-endorphin and oxytocin were significantly lower in patients than those in healthy controls (p = 0.011 for β-endorphin and p = 0.005 for oxytocin, Kruskal–Wallis test). In patients with depressive comorbidity, the significance was greatest (p = 0.005 for β-endorphin and p = 0.004 for oxytocin, U-test). There was no correlation with clinical or psychometric parameters (p > 0.05, Spearman test), but beta-endorphin levels did correlate significantly with physical aggression (p = 0.026, Spearman test). Conclusions: Serum levels of β-endorphin and oxytocin are lower in patients with AUD, particularly in those with depressive comorbidity. β-Endorphin levels correlated with physical aggression according to the Buss–Durkee (BDHI) estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V. Roschina
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
| | - Lyudmila A. Levchuk
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
| | - Anastasiia S. Boiko
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
| | - Ekaterina V. Michalitskaya
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
| | - Elena V. Epimakhova
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
| | - Innokentiy S. Losenkov
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
| | - German G. Simutkin
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
| | - Anton J. M. Loonen
- Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP), PharmacoTherapy, -Epidemiology & -Economics, University of Groningen, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
| | - Nikolay A. Bokhan
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
- Psychiatry, Addictology and Psychotherapy Department, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Svetlana A. Ivanova
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634014 Tomsk, Russia; (O.V.R.); (L.A.L.); (A.S.B.); (E.V.M.); (E.V.E.); (I.S.L.); (G.G.S.); (N.A.B.); (S.A.I.)
- Psychiatry, Addictology and Psychotherapy Department, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
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Sanna F, De Luca MA. The potential role of oxytocin in addiction: What is the target process? Curr Opin Pharmacol 2021; 58:8-20. [PMID: 33845377 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin regulates a variety of centrally-mediated functions, ranging from socio-sexual behavior, maternal care, and affiliation to fear, stress, anxiety. In the past years, both clinical and preclinical studies characterized oxytocin for its modulatory role on reward-related neural substrates mainly involving the interplay with the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic pathways. This suggests a role of this nonapeptide on the neurobiology of addiction raising the possibility of its therapeutic use. Although far from a precise knowledge of the underlying mechanisms, the putative role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis as a key structure where oxytocin may rebalance altered neurochemical processes and neuroplasticity involved in dependence and relapse has been highlighted. This view opens new opportunities to address the health problems related to drug misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy
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