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Hu S, Wang Y, Han X, Dai M, Zhang Y, Ma Y, Weng S, Xiao L. Activation of oxytocin receptors in mouse GABAergic amacrine cells modulates retinal dopaminergic signaling. BMC Biol 2022; 20:205. [PMID: 36127701 PMCID: PMC9490981 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01405-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Oxytocin, secreted by oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus, is an endogenous neuropeptide involved in modulating multiple sensory information processing pathways, and its roles in the brain have been associated with prosocial, maternal, and feeding-related behaviors. Visual information is necessary for initiating these behaviors, with the retina consisting of the first stage in the visual system mediating external stimulus perception. Oxytocin has been detected in the mammalian retina; however, the expression and possible function of oxytocin receptors (OxtR) in the retina remain unknown. Here, we explore the role of oxytocin in regulating visual information processing in the retina. Results We observed that OxtR mRNA and protein are expressed in the mouse retina. With Oxtr-Cre transgenic mice, immunostaining, and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we found that OxtRs are mainly expressed in GABAergic amacrine cells (ACs) in both the inner nuclear layer (INL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL). Further immunoreactivity studies showed that GABAergic OxtR+ neurons are mainly cholinergic and dopaminergic neurons in the INL and are cholinergic and corticotrophin-releasing hormone neurons in the GCL. Surprisingly, a high level of Oxtr mRNAs was detected in retinal dopaminergic neurons, and exogenous oxytocin application activated dopaminergic neurons to elevate the retinal dopamine level. Relying on in vivo electroretinographic recording, we found that activating retinal OxtRs reduced the activity of bipolar cells via OxtRs and dopamine receptors. Conclusions These data indicate the functional expression of OxtRs in retinal GABAergic ACs, especially dopaminergic ACs, and expand the interactions between oxytocinergic and dopaminergic systems. This study suggests that visual perception, from the first stage of information processing in the retina, is modulated by hypothalamic oxytocin signaling. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01405-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhui Hu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yurong Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xu Han
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Min Dai
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yongxing Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ma
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shijun Weng
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lei Xiao
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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de Witte M, Knapen A, Stams GJ, Moonen X, Hooren SV. Development of a music therapy micro-intervention for stress reduction. ARTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2021.101872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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3
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Nagasawa T, Ohta M, Uchiyama H. The Urinary Hormonal State of Cats Associated With Social Interaction With Humans. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:680843. [PMID: 34381833 PMCID: PMC8350111 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.680843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Research to assess the relationship between cats and humans is in a nascent stage. Some studies have assessed the stress status in cats using physiological indicators, such as the cortisol hormone, but have not focused on the social interaction with humans. Moreover, the role of oxytocin secretion in the relationship between cats and humans remains unclear. In this study, we determined the possibility of quantifying the urinary concentration of oxytocin in cats and assessed the effects of social contact with humans on the levels of urinary oxytocin and cortisol metabolite. Four cats were subjected to two conditions, namely, social (control), and non-social (no social contact with humans) conditions. The levels of cortisol and oxytocin metabolite in urine samples from the cats in both conditions were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The urinary concentrations of cortisol and oxytocin under the non-social condition were significantly higher than those under the social condition. In addition, the concentration of oxytocin significantly correlated with that of cortisol in cats under the non-social condition. In this study, it was possible to quantify the concentration of oxytocin in the urine of cats, and the obtained results suggest that cats recognize the social interaction with humans as important. This information might contribute to the establishment of an assessment method for the welfare of cats and might help in clarifying the relationship between cats and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Nagasawa
- Department of Human and Animal-Plant Relationships, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Atsugi, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Ohta
- Department of Human and Animal-Plant Relationships, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Atsugi, Japan.,Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Uchiyama
- Department of Human and Animal-Plant Relationships, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Atsugi, Japan.,Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Atsugi, Japan
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de Witte M, Pinho ADS, Stams GJ, Moonen X, Bos AER, van Hooren S. Music therapy for stress reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychol Rev 2020; 16:134-159. [PMID: 33176590 DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2020.1846580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Music therapy is increasingly being used as an intervention for stress reduction in both medical and mental healthcare settings. Music therapy is characterized by personally tailored music interventions initiated by a trained and qualified music therapist, which distinguishes music therapy from other music interventions, such as 'music medicine', which concerns mainly music listening interventions offered by healthcare professionals. To summarize the growing body of empirical research on music therapy, a multilevel meta-analysis, containing 47 studies, 76 effect sizes and 2.747 participants, was performed to assess the strength of the effects of music therapy on both physiological and psychological stress-related outcomes, and to test potential moderators of the intervention effects. Results showed that music therapy showed an overall medium-to-large effect on stress-related outcomes (d = .723, [.51-.94]). Larger effects were found for clinical controlled trials (CCT) compared to randomized controlled trials (RCT), waiting list controls instead of care as usual (CAU) or other stress-reducing interventions, and for studies conducted in Non-Western countries compared to Western countries. Implications for both music therapy and future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina de Witte
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Stevig, Expert Centre for People with Mild Intellectual Disabilities, Gennep, Netherlands.,KenVaK, Research Centre for the Arts Therapies, Heerlen, Netherlands
| | - Ana da Silva Pinho
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Geert-Jan Stams
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Xavier Moonen
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Faculty of Healthcare, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Heerlen, Netherlands
| | - Arjan E R Bos
- Faculty of Psychology, Open University, Heerlen, Netherlands
| | - Susan van Hooren
- KenVaK, Research Centre for the Arts Therapies, Heerlen, Netherlands.,Faculty of Healthcare, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Heerlen, Netherlands.,Faculty of Psychology, Open University, Heerlen, Netherlands
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Stocker M, Loretto MC, Sterck EHM, Bugnyar T, Massen JJM. Cooperation with closely bonded individuals reduces cortisol levels in long-tailed macaques. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191056. [PMID: 32537186 PMCID: PMC7277283 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Many animal species cooperate with conspecifics in various social contexts. While ultimate causes of cooperation are being studied extensively, its proximate causes, particularly endocrine mechanisms, have received comparatively little attention. Here, we present a study investigating the link between the hormone cortisol, cooperation and social bonds in long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). We tested 14 macaques in a dyadic cooperation task (loose-string paradigm), each with two partners of different social bond strength and measured their salivary cortisol before and after the task. We found no strong link between the macaques' cortisol level before the task and subsequent cooperative success. By contrast, we did find that the act of cooperating in itself led to a subsequent decrease in cortisol levels, but only when cooperating with closely bonded individuals. Two control conditions showed that this effect was not due to the mere presence of such an individual or the pulling task itself. Consequently, our study shows an intricate way in which the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is involved in cooperation. Future studies should reveal whether and how our findings are driven by the anxiolytic effect of oxytocin, which has been associated with social bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Stocker
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias-Claudio Loretto
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Elisabeth H. M. Sterck
- Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
- Animal Ecology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jorg J. M. Massen
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Animal Ecology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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de Witte M, Spruit A, van Hooren S, Moonen X, Stams GJ. Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: a systematic review and two meta-analyses. Health Psychol Rev 2019; 14:294-324. [PMID: 31167611 DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2019.1627897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Music interventions are used for stress reduction in a variety of settings because of the positive effects of music listening on both physiological arousal (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, and hormonal levels) and psychological stress experiences (e.g., restlessness, anxiety, and nervousness). To summarize the growing body of empirical research, two multilevel meta-analyses of 104 RCTs, containing 327 effect sizes and 9,617 participants, were performed to assess the strength of the effects of music interventions on both physiological and psychological stress-related outcomes, and to test the potential moderators of the intervention effects. Results showed that music interventions had an overall significant effect on stress reduction in both physiological (d = .380) and psychological (d = .545) outcomes. Further, moderator analyses showed that the type of outcome assessment moderated the effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes. Larger effects were found on heart rate (d = .456), compared to blood pressure (d = .343) and hormone levels (d = .349). Implications for stress-reducing music interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina de Witte
- HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Stevig, Expert Treatment Centre for People with Mild Intellectual Disabilities and Psychiatric and Behavioral Disorders, Gennep, The Netherlands.,KenVaK, Research Centre for the Arts Therapies, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk Spruit
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susan van Hooren
- KenVaK, Research Centre for the Arts Therapies, Heerlen, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Healthcare, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Heerlen, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Moonen
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Healthcare, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Geert-Jan Stams
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Diversity of central oxytocinergic projections. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:41-48. [PMID: 30498946 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2960-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Localization and distribution of hypothalamic neurons expressing the nonapeptide oxytocin has been extensively studied. Their projections to the neurohypophyseal system release oxytocin into the systemic circulation thus controlling endocrine events associated with reproduction in males and females. Oxytocinergic neurons seem to be confined to the ventral hypothalamus in all mammals. Groups of such cells located outside the supraoptic and the paraventricular nuclei are summarized as "accessory neurons." Although evolutionary probably associated with the classical magocellular nuclei, accessory oxytocin neurons seem to consist of rather heterogenous groups: Periventricular oxytocin neurons may gain contact to the third ventricle to secrete the peptide into the cerebrospinal fluid. Perivascular neurons may be involved in control of cerebral blood flow. They may also gain access to the portal circulation of the anterior pituitary lobe. Central projections of oxytocinergic neurons extend to portions of the limbic system, to the mesencephalon and to the brain stem. Such projections have been associated with control of behaviors, central stress response as well as motor and vegetative functions. Activity of the different oxytocinergic systems seems to be malleable to functional status, strongly influenced by systemic levels of steroid hormones.
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Londono Tobon A, Newport DJ, Nemeroff CB. The Role of Oxytocin in Early Life Adversity and Later Psychopathology: a Review of Preclinical and Clinical Studies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40501-018-0158-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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