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Pierzynowska K, Gaffke L, Żabińska M, Cyske Z, Rintz E, Wiśniewska K, Podlacha M, Węgrzyn G. Roles of the Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) in Human Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043887. [PMID: 36835321 PMCID: PMC9966686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor (OXTR), encoded by the OXTR gene, is responsible for the signal transduction after binding its ligand, oxytocin. Although this signaling is primarily involved in controlling maternal behavior, it was demonstrated that OXTR also plays a role in the development of the nervous system. Therefore, it is not a surprise that both the ligand and the receptor are involved in the modulation of behaviors, especially those related to sexual, social, and stress-induced activities. As in the case of every regulatory system, any disturbances in the structures or functions of oxytocin and OXTR may lead to the development or modulation of various diseases related to the regulated functions, which in this case include either mental problems (autism, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders) or those related to the functioning of reproductive organs (endometriosis, uterine adenomyosis, premature birth). Nevertheless, OXTR abnormalities are also connected to other diseases, including cancer, cardiac disorders, osteoporosis, and obesity. Recent reports indicated that the changes in the levels of OXTR and the formation of its aggregates may influence the course of some inherited metabolic diseases, such as mucopolysaccharidoses. In this review, the involvement of OXTR dysfunctions and OXTR polymorphisms in the development of different diseases is summarized and discussed. The analysis of published results led us to suggest that changes in OXTR expression and OXTR abundance and activity are not specific to individual diseases, but rather they influence processes (mostly related to behavioral changes) that might modulate the course of various disorders. Moreover, a possible explanation of the discrepancies in the published results of effects of the OXTR gene polymorphisms and methylation on different diseases is proposed.
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Mitre M, Saadipour K, Williams K, Khatri L, Froemke RC, Chao MV. Transactivation of TrkB Receptors by Oxytocin and Its G Protein-Coupled Receptor. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:891537. [PMID: 35721318 PMCID: PMC9201241 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.891537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) binds to the TrkB tyrosine kinase receptor, which dictates the sensitivity of neurons to BDNF. A unique feature of TrkB is the ability to be activated by small molecules in a process called transactivation. Here we report that the brain neuropeptide oxytocin increases BDNF TrkB activity in primary cortical neurons and in the mammalian neocortex during postnatal development. Oxytocin produces its effects through a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), however, the receptor signaling events that account for its actions have not been fully defined. We find oxytocin rapidly transactivates TrkB receptors in bath application of acute brain slices of 2-week-old mice and in primary cortical culture by increasing TrkB receptor tyrosine phosphorylation. The effects of oxytocin signaling could be distinguished from the related vasopressin receptor. The transactivation of TrkB receptors by oxytocin enhances the clustering of gephyrin, a scaffold protein responsible to coordinate inhibitory responses. Because oxytocin displays pro-social functions in maternal care, cognition, and social attachment, it is currently a focus of therapeutic strategies in autism spectrum disorders. Interestingly, oxytocin and BDNF are both implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and cognition. These results imply that oxytocin may rely upon crosstalk with BDNF signaling to facilitate its actions through receptor transactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariela Mitre
- Departments of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Departments of Cell Biology, Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Khalil Saadipour
- Departments of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kevin Williams
- Departments of Biology and Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Latika Khatri
- Departments of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert C. Froemke
- Departments of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Moses V. Chao
- Departments of Cell Biology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Departments of Cell Biology, Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Moses V. Chao
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D'Addario C, Pucci M, Bellia F, Girella A, Sabatucci A, Fanti F, Vismara M, Benatti B, Ferrara L, Fasciana F, Celebre L, Viganò C, Elli L, Sergi M, Maccarrone M, Buzzelli V, Trezza V, Dell'Osso B. Regulation of oxytocin receptor gene expression in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a possible role for the microbiota-host epigenetic axis. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:47. [PMID: 35361281 PMCID: PMC8973787 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01264-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent and severe clinical condition. Robust evidence suggests a gene-environment interplay in its etiopathogenesis, yet the underlying molecular clues remain only partially understood. In order to further deepen our understanding of OCD, it is essential to ascertain how genes interact with environmental risk factors, a cross-talk that is thought to be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. The human microbiota may be a key player, because bacterial metabolites can act as epigenetic modulators. We analyzed, in the blood and saliva of OCD subjects and healthy controls, the transcriptional regulation of the oxytocin receptor gene and, in saliva, also the different levels of major phyla. We also investigated the same molecular mechanisms in specific brain regions of socially isolated rats showing stereotyped behaviors reminiscent of OCD as well as short chain fatty acid levels in the feces of rats. RESULTS Higher levels of oxytocin receptor gene DNA methylation, inversely correlated with gene expression, were observed in the blood as well as saliva of OCD subjects when compared to controls. Moreover, Actinobacteria also resulted higher in OCD and directly correlated with oxytocin receptor gene epigenetic alterations. The same pattern of changes was present in the prefrontal cortex of socially-isolated rats, where also altered levels of fecal butyrate were observed at the beginning of the isolation procedure. CONCLUSIONS This is the first demonstration of an interplay between microbiota modulation and epigenetic regulation of gene expression in OCD, opening new avenues for the understanding of disease trajectories and for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio D'Addario
- Faculty of Bioscience, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy. .,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Via Renato Balzarini, 1, 64100, Teramo, Italy.
| | | | - Fabio Bellia
- Faculty of Bioscience, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | | | | | - Federico Fanti
- Faculty of Bioscience, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Matteo Vismara
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Beatrice Benatti
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Ferrara
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Federica Fasciana
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Celebre
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Caterina Viganò
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Elli
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Manuel Sergi
- Faculty of Bioscience, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Mauro Maccarrone
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,European Center for Brain Research/Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Bernardo Dell'Osso
- Department of Mental Health, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milano, Milano, Italy. .,Department of Psychiatry, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Psychiatry Unit 2, ASST Sacco-Fatebenefratelli, Via G.B. Grassi, 74, 20157, Milan, Italy.
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The Role of OXT, OXTR, AVP, and AVPR1a Gene Expression in the Course of Schizophrenia. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:336-349. [PMID: 35723404 PMCID: PMC8929099 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic mental illness, the symptoms of which usually appear for the first time in late adolescence or early adulthood. To date, much research has been conducted on the etiology of schizophrenia; however, it is still not fully understood. Oxytocin and vasopressin as neuromodulators that regulate social and emotional behavior are promising candidates for determining the vulnerability to schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of OXT, OXTR, AVP, and AVPR1a genes at the mRNA and protein levels in patients with schizophrenia. Due to the neurodegenerative nature of schizophrenia, the study group was divided into two subgroups, namely, G1 with a diagnosis that was made between 10 and 15 years after the onset of the illness, and G2 with a diagnosis made up to two years after the onset of the illness. Moreover, the relationship between the examined genes and the severity of schizophrenia symptoms, assessed using PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) and CDSS scales (Clinical Depression Scale for Schizophrenia) was evaluated. The analysis of the expression of the studied genes at the mRNA and protein levels showed statistically significant differences in the expression of all the investigated genes. OXT and AVPR1a gene expression at both the mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower in the schizophrenia group, and OXTR and AVP gene expression at both the mRNA and protein levels was higher in the schizophrenia subjects than in the controls. Furthermore, a significant correlation of OXT gene expression at the mRNA and protein levels with the severity of depressive symptoms in schizophrenia as assessed by CDSS was found.
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Martins D, Davies C, De Micheli A, Oliver D, Krawczun-Rygmaczewska A, Fusar-Poli P, Paloyelis Y. Intranasal oxytocin increases heart-rate variability in men at clinical high risk for psychosis: a proof-of-concept study. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:227. [PMID: 32655132 PMCID: PMC7354990 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00890-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction (i.e., increased sympathetic and/or decreased parasympathetic activity) has been proposed to contribute to psychosis vulnerability. Yet, we still lack directed therapeutic strategies that improve ANS regulation in psychosis or at-risk states. The oxytocin system constitutes a potential therapeutic target, given its role in ANS regulation. However, whether intranasal oxytocin ameliorates autonomic regulation during emerging psychosis is currently unknown. We pooled together two datasets, one of 30 men at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P), and another of 17 healthy men, who had participated in two double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised, crossover MRI studies with similar protocols. All participants self-administered 40 IU of intranasal oxytocin or placebo using a nasal spray. We recorded pulse plethysmography during a period of 8 min at about 1 h post dosing and estimated heart rate (HR) and high-frequency HR variability (HF-HRV), an index of cardio-parasympathetic activity. CHR-P and healthy men did not differ at resting HR or HF-HRV under placebo. We found a significant condition × treatment effect for HF-HRV, showing that intranasal oxytocin, compared with placebo, increased HF-HRV in CHR-P but not in healthy men. The main effects of treatment and condition were not significant. In this proof-of-concept study, we show that intranasal oxytocin increases cardio-parasympathetic activity in CHR-P men, highlighting its therapeutic potential to improve autonomic regulation in this clinical group. Our findings support the need for further research on the preventive and therapeutic potential of intranasal oxytocin during emerging psychosis, where we lack effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Cathy Davies
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Andrea De Micheli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Dominic Oliver
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Alicja Krawczun-Rygmaczewska
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions & Clinical detection (EPIC) lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- OASIS Service, South London and the Maudsley NHS National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Yannis Paloyelis
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
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Liu Y, Tao H, Yang X, Huang K, Zhang X, Li C. Decreased Serum Oxytocin and Increased Homocysteine in First-Episode Schizophrenia Patients. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:217. [PMID: 31024366 PMCID: PMC6469488 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a debilitating and heterogeneous disease. We hypothesized that the oxytocin (OXT) system, inflammation and one-carbon metabolism would have a link with SZ. In this study, serum OXT, OXT receptor (OXTR), interleukin-6 (IL-6), high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) levels were measured in 52 first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and 41 healthy controls (HC) from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. Meanwhile, the mRNA expressions of OXT and OXTR genes were determined by real-time quantitative PCR. Serum OXT and OXTR levels were significantly lower in FES patients (518.96 ± 22.22 and 174.60 ± 17.11 pg/ml) than the HC group (711.58 ± 40.57 and 252.15 ± 20.62 pg/ml). Serum IL-6 and hsCRP levels showed no difference between the two groups (1.82 ± 0.30 vs. 1.69 ± 0.36 pg/ml, 0.66 (0.22, 1.07) vs. 0.31 (0.13, 0.91) mg/L), but serum Hcy levels were significantly higher in FES patients (20.18 ± 1.83 vs. 15.24 ± 0.82 μmol/ml). The FES patients (0.27 ± 0.02 and 0.20 ± 0.02) have relatively higher mRNA expressions of OXT and OXTR genes than the HC group (0.16 ± 0.01 and 0.14 ± 0.01). In summary, our results suggested the possible function of the OXT system and Hcy in the pathogenesis of SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya) and China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, China.,Mental Health Institute of Central South University and Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, China
| | - Huai Tao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Xiudeng Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shaoyang University, Shaoyang, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya) and China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, China.,Mental Health Institute of Central South University and Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, China
| | - Xianghui Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya) and China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, China.,Mental Health Institute of Central South University and Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, China
| | - Cunyan Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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