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. 2010 Jul 1;47(4):625-32.
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00968.x. Epub 2010 Jan 22.

An investigation of plasma and salivary oxytocin responses in breast- and formula-feeding mothers of infants

Karen M Grewen  1 , Russell E Davenport, Kathleen C Light
Affiliations

An investigation of plasma and salivary oxytocin responses in breast- and formula-feeding mothers of infants

Karen M Grewen et al. Psychophysiology. .

Abstract

Oxytocin (OT) is a peptide increasingly studied in relation to human social interactions, affiliation, and clinical disorders. Studies are constrained by use of invasive blood draws and would benefit from a reliable salivary OT assay. Our goals were to examine feasibility of salivary OT measurement, compare salivary to plasma OT responses in 12 breast- and 8 formula-feeding mothers, and assess the degree of correlation between plasma and salivary OT. Using a commercial EIA kit, we measured OT in 5 saliva and 7 plasma samples in a protocol designed to elicit changes in OT (Rest, Infant Interaction, Stress, Feeding). Breast-feeders had higher OT levels than formula-feeders across all conditions in plasma (+36%) and saliva (+23%). OT levels and ranges were similar in saliva and plasma, with slightly greater variance in saliva. Concurrently sampled plasma and salivary OT were correlated at end of Baseline Rest (r=+.59, p=.022) and Post-Stress Recovery (r=+.59, p=.025). These data suggest that salivary OT assay is feasible, and will be of value where plasma samples are not possible. Validation with larger samples is needed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Timing of protocol and oxytocin sampling. Base: Baseline rest; INXN: 5-min mother-infant interaction; POST-INTXN: Post-interaction rest; SPC: Speech; REP: Speech replay; ICE: 2-min forehead cold pressor; REC: Post-stress recovery; FEED: Infant feeding by breast or formula.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean plasma (A) and salivary (B) oxytocin concentrations (pg/mL) assayed at different time points calculated for Breast and Formula-feeding mothers separately. Error bars depict standard error of the mean. *p < .05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pearson correlations between plasma and salivary oxytocin concentrations (pg/mL) sampled at minute 7 of Resting Baseline.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pearson correlations between plasma and salivary oxytocin concentrations (pg/mL) sampled at minute 7 of Resting Recovery following stressors.
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