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Review
. 2024 Mar;23(1):15-23.
doi: 10.1007/s42000-023-00505-y. Epub 2023 Nov 18.

The neurohypophyseal hormone oxytocin and eating behaviors: a narrative review

Michele Iovino  1 , Tullio Messana  2 , Simonetta Marucci  3 , Domenico Triggiani  1 , Vito Angelo Giagulli  1 , Edoardo Guastamacchia  1 , Giuseppina Piazzolla  1 , Giovanni De Pergola  4   5 , Giuseppe Lisco  6 , Vincenzo Triggiani  1
Affiliations
Review

The neurohypophyseal hormone oxytocin and eating behaviors: a narrative review

Michele Iovino et al. Hormones (Athens). 2024 Mar.

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is crucial in several conditions, such as lactation, parturition, mother-infant interaction, and psychosocial function. Moreover, OT may be involved in the regulation of eating behaviors.

Methods: This review briefly summarizes data concerning the role of OT in eating behaviors. Appropriate keywords and medical subject headings were identified and searched for in PubMed/MEDLINE. References of original articles and reviews were screened, examined, and selected.

Results: Hypothalamic OT-secreting neurons project to different cerebral areas controlling eating behaviors, such as the amygdala, area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve. Intracerebral/ventricular OT administration decreases food intake and body weight in wild and genetically obese rats. OT may alter food intake and the quality of meals, especially carbohydrates and sweets, in humans.

Discussion: OT may play a role in the pathophysiology of eating disorders with potential therapeutic perspectives. In obese patients and those with certain eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa or binge/compulsive eating, OT may reduce appetite and caloric consumption. Conversely, OT administered to patients with anorexia nervosa may paradoxically stimulate appetite, possibly by lowering anxiety which usually complicates the management of these patients. Nevertheless, OT administration (e.g., intranasal route) is not always associated with clinical benefit, probably because intranasally administered OT fails to achieve therapeutic intracerebral levels of the hormone.

Conclusion: OT administration could play a therapeutic role in managing eating disorders and disordered eating. However, specific studies are needed to clarify this issue with regard to dose-finding and route and administration time.

Keywords: Disordered eating; Eating behaviors; Eating disorder; Food intake; Obesity; Oxytocin; Oxytocin receptor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Simplified depiction of the relationship between OT-ergic hypothalamic PVN and SON neurons and brain sites involved in regulating eating behaviors (blue arrows). OT-ergic projections from PVN synapse within the amygdala (AMY), area postrema (AP), nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), and dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve (DMV) playing a role in anorexigenic response, taste aversion, gastric emptying (red arrows)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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