Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Junki Imaizumi, Shuhei Kamada, Miyu Taniguchi, Tatsuro Sugimoto, Takaaki Maeda, Ryosuke Arakaki, Shota Yamamoto, Aya Shirakawa, Ayuka Mineda, Atsuko Yoshida, Takeshi Iwasa, Takashi Kaji
Summary: Changes in oxytocin levels and oxytocin receptor mRNA expression were observed in rats with intrauterine undernutrition. These changes could potentially affect nutritional and metabolic regulation systems and contribute to the mechanisms underlying DOHaD.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Masroor Badshah, Jibriil Ibrahim, Nguok Su, Penny Whiley, Michael Whittaker, Betty Exintaris
Summary: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that affects middle-aged and older males and causes urinary symptoms. Targeting oxytocin receptors may help reduce muscle tension in the prostate and provide a promising avenue for the development of novel BPH drugs.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Donatella Marazziti, Phuoc-Tan Diep, Sue Carter, Manuel Glauco Carbone
Summary: Oxytocin plays an important role in neuropsychiatric disorders, and alterations in its expression and receptor isoforms may be associated with the occurrence of these disorders. Exogenous administration of oxytocin has shown to improve many neuropsychiatric clinical conditions.
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Constantina Theofanopoulou, Gregory Gedman, James A. Cahill, Cedric Boeckx, Erich D. Jarvis
Summary: The study indicates that oxytocin and vasopressin are adjacent paralogous genes that likely resulted from a local duplication through DNA transposable elements near the origin of vertebrates, with vasotocin retaining more of the parental sequence. Six major oxytocin-vasotocin receptors were identified among vertebrates, potentially originating from a single receptor shared with the common ancestor of invertebrates through whole-genome and large segmental duplications.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Chunli Li, Haipeng Wang, Min Wang, Chunyun Chen, Fei Bai, Mengqi Ban, Chunfu Wu
Summary: The study demonstrated that oxytocin can prevent the damage to rat hippocampal neurons induced by methamphetamine, including protection of mitochondrial membrane potential, reduction of oxidative stress, and inhibition of neuron apoptosis.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Kengo Inada, Kazoku Tsujimoto, Masahide Yoshida, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Kazunari Miyamichi
Summary: Studies have shown that oxytocin signaling in the arcuate nucleus suppresses excessive food intake, playing an important role in body weight homeostasis and appetite regulation.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lixuan Li, Pupu Li, Jing Guo, Yifei Wu, Qian Zeng, Nan Li, Xiaoting Huang, Yongshen He, Wen Ai, Wuping Sun, Tao Liu, Donglin Xiong, Lizu Xiao, Yanyan Sun, Qiming Zhou, Haixia Kuang, Zilong Wang, Changyu Jiang
Summary: This study found that the expression of oxytocin receptors (OXTR) is upregulated in chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP), and activation of OXTR can alleviate CINP symptoms by inhibiting neural excitability.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Julia S. Krimberg, Francisco S. Lumertz, Rodrigo Orso, Thiago W. Viola, Rosa Maria M. de Almeida
Summary: Social isolation stress is associated with negative developmental outcomes and may be related to the oxytocinergic system. Decreased OXTR levels are associated with behavioral alterations such as increased aggression and anxiety-like behavior, hyperactivity, and diminished social behaviors and memory. Administration of synthetic oxytocin or its agonists can partially decrease these behavioral alterations.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Yuka Kato, Satoshi Yokose
Summary: The study confirms that oxytocin stimulates odontoblastlike cell differentiation and promotes dentin formation, indicating that it regulates odontoblastlike cell differentiation via the OT receptor and the Wnt canonical pathway is closely related to these effects.
JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Kah Kheng Goh, Nobuhisa Kanahara, Yi-Hang Chiu, Mong-Liang Lu
Summary: Childhood trauma is associated with schizophrenia and social dysfunction, while oxytocin and the OXTR gene may play a role in regulating social behavior. This study found significant differences in childhood trauma exposure, social functioning, and oxytocin levels among patients with schizophrenia, with certain OXTR SNPs being associated with increased risk for the disorder. The results suggest that oxytocin and its receptor gene could be potential targets for interventions to improve social functioning in individuals with a history of childhood trauma and schizophrenia, although more research is needed to fully understand their effects and applications in this population.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Takako Tokui, Takako Kawakita, Rie Yanagihara, Shuhei Kamada, Saki Minato, Asuka Takeda, Junki Imaizumi, Yuri Yamamoto, Kanako Yoshida, Takeshi Kato, Minoru Irahara, Takeshi Iwasa
Summary: The study found that estradiol can regulate the expression of the oxytocin system in rats, reducing appetite and weight gain by increasing oxytocin levels. Therefore, oxytocin may be a potential target for interventions in metabolic disorders induced by menopause.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hsin-Ju Chuang, Chun-Yung Chang, Huai-Ping Ho, Ming-Yi Chou
Summary: The study demonstrates that oxytocin system plays a significant role in stress responses and adaptation in fish. Different environmental stressors can affect the expression of oxytocin receptors in fish, leading to changes in the number and expression of oxytocin neurons. Through the use of transgenic technology, the role of oxytocin neurons in various nuclei regulating anxiety levels and aggressiveness in adult zebrafish under different environmental stresses is revealed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Maura Porta, Amber Boening, Jonathan Tiemann, Adam Zack, Arjun Patel, Korie Sondgeroth
Summary: During pregnancy, the uterus undergoes various changes influenced by hormones and mechanical factors. This study found that while most of these changes are reversed during involution, some physiological properties of the uterus are permanently altered. The contractility response to oxytocin was different in non-pregnant and proven breeder uterine tissue samples, suggesting that the expression of oxytocin receptor and intracellular calcium management proteins may be affected by pregnancy. Further molecular biology experiments are needed to understand the extent of these expression changes.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Tsung-Chih Tsai, Yi-Syuan Fang, Yu-Chieh Hung, Ling-Chien Hung, Kuei-Sen Hsu
Summary: This study reveals the crucial role of oxytocin receptor signaling in the dorsal hippocampus CA2 region in governing the persistence of long-term social recognition memory (SRM). By investigating the neural circuitry involved, the researchers identify the connection from dorsal CA2 to ventral CA1 as necessary for the formation of long-term SRM.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Agnieszka Wsol, Agata Gondek, Martyna Podobinska, Marek Chmielewski, Elzbieta Sajdel-Sulkowska, Agnieszka Cudnoch-Jedrzejewska
Summary: This study found that the presence of arterial hypertension is associated with increased activity of the oxytocinergic system in the heart, especially in the area of the left ventricle. These findings support the important role of this system in the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis.
ARCHIVES OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Markus Osaland Fjelde, Einar Timdal, Reidar Haugan, Mika Bendiksby
Summary: This study investigated the taxonomy of the crustose lichen genus Calvitimela using molecular phylogenetics and morphological observations. The results revealed evolutionarily old and deeply divergent lineages within Calvitimela, with overlapping morphological characters between different subgenera. Chemical characters were informative at the level of subgenera but often homoplastic at the species level. A practical taxonomy of Calvitimela was proposed based on these findings.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bo-Yang Shi, Da Pan, Kang-Qin Zhang, Tian-Yu Gu, Darren C. J. Yeo, Peter K. L. Ng, Neil Cumberlidge, Hong-Ying Sun
Summary: This study investigates the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of montane potamids in the Hengduan Mountains Region. The results suggest that the vicariance events of these crabs are correlated with the emergence of sky islands due to the uplift of the mountains. The mountain ridges provided corridors for their dispersal and past climatic conditions played a crucial role in their evolutionary history. The mechanisms isolating sky islands are reinforced by the climatic features of dry-hot valleys and continue to affect local diversification.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Attila Nemeth, Edvard Mizsei, Levente Laczko, David Czaban, Zsolt Hegyeli, Szabolcs Lengyel, Gabor Csorba, Gabor Sramko
Summary: Species delimitation of European blind mole rats is challenging due to their small morphological differences and complex chromosomal evolution. This study provides a comprehensive framework to improve understanding of their evolutionary history and revise their taxonomy. The results reveal the presence of multiple superspecies and species, with distinct geographic patterns and rapid chromosomal evolution.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying Qi, Zhaoyan Zhong, Xu Liu, Xing He, Yadong Zhou, Lili Zhang, Chong Chen, Katrin Linse, Jian-Wen Qiu, Jin Sun
Summary: This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships among patellogastropod families using mitochondrial and phylogenomic data. The results show that the mitochondrial phylogeny recovers monophyly of most families, but the relationships among families are still contentious. However, a more robust family-level topology consistent with morphology is achieved by phylogenomics. Additionally, the mainly deep-water families are found to be monophyletic, suggesting a single colonization of the deep water during the Jurassic.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Jie Shi, Jin -Liang Huang, Jia-Xuan Mi, Jing Li, Fan-Yu Meng, Yu Zhong, Fang He, Fei -Fei Tian, Fan Zhang, Liang-Hua Chen, Han-Bo Yang, Hong-Lin Hu, Xue-Qin Wan
Summary: Despite numerous studies on hybrid speciation, our understanding of this process remains limited. In this study, we conducted an 18-year systematic investigation on Populus taxa on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and discovered three new taxa that originated from distant hybridization between two different sections. These hybrid taxa demonstrate greater ecological adaptability than their ancestral species due to heterosis. We propose a hybrid speciation process model that can explain important evolutionary concerns.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Cho, Denis Tikhonenkov, Gordon Lax, Kristina I. Prokina, Patrick J. Keeling
Summary: Unlike conspicuous ochrophytes, many small and overlooked flagellates belonging to basally branching stramenopiles remain poorly characterized at the cellular or genomic level. This study describes four new species, including two new genera, of sediment-dwelling MAST-6 and provides updated phylogenomic tree of stramenopiles. The characterization of these flagellates is important due to their phylogenetic diversity and abundance in various environments.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tian-Tian Xue, Steven B. Janssens, Bin-Bin Liu, Sheng-Xiang Yu
Summary: Phylogenomic conflicts are widespread among genomic data, with most previous studies primarily focusing on nuclear datasets instead of organellar genomes. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic conflicts within and between plastid and mitochondrial genomes using Potentilla as a case study. We found that both plastid and mitochondrial genomes divided Potentilla into eight highly supported clades, with two newly identified clades. Our results demonstrate that mitochondrial genes can fully resolve phylogenetic relationships among major clades of Potentilla and are not always linked with plastomes in evolutionary history.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra A. Grossi, Chunpo Tian, Mengjiao Ren, Fasheng Zou, Daniel R. Gustafsson
Summary: This study suggests that the coevolutionary relationships between chewing lice, endosymbiotic bacteria, and birds are not independent, but the patterns vary depending on the analysis method used. Additionally, louse host-switching does not seem to affect bacterial strains.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ingrid Olivares, Sergio Tusso, Maria Jose Sanin, Marylaure de La Harpe, Oriane Loiseau, Jonathan Rolland, Nicolas Salamin, Michael Kessler, Kentaro K. Shimizu, Margot Paris
Summary: Traditionally, differences between species have been associated with morphological variation. However, the discovery of cryptic diversity suggests that the evolution of distinct lineages can occur without morphological differences. Through genetic analysis, we found that a tropical montane plant lineage is composed of numerous unrecognized genetic groups that are not morphologically distinct. Geographic distance and topography play a crucial role in determining the genetic divergence of these groups.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2024)