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Clinical Trial
. 2025 Mar 3;192(3):K24-K29.
doi: 10.1093/ejendo/lvaf001.

Sex-dependent increases in oxytocin levels in response to intravenous kisspeptin in humans

Francesca Galbiati  1   2   3 , Franziska Plessow  1   4 , Lacey Plummer  5 , Mark B Campbell  5 , Shawn Nazarloo  6 , C Sue Carter  6   7 , Rona S Carroll  3 , Han K Kim  3 , Sidney A Pereira  3 , Daria Paulis  3 , John M Davis  8 , Karen K Miller  1 , Ursula B Kaiser  3 , Stephanie B Seminara  5 , Anna Aulinas  2   9 , Elizabeth A Lawson  1
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Sex-dependent increases in oxytocin levels in response to intravenous kisspeptin in humans

Francesca Galbiati et al. Eur J Endocrinol. .

Abstract

Background: A clinically significant oxytocin-deficient state (OXT-D) has been established in adults with arginine vasopressin deficiency, and there is a need to develop diagnostic testing. Kisspeptin (KP) is a candidate for such a test, as KP receptors are found on oxytocinergic neurons, and KP administration increases plasma OXT in animals. We hypothesized that intravenous KP administration would increase peripheral OXT levels post-injection in healthy adults.

Methods: Kisspeptin-112-121 (KP analog, 0.24 nmol/kg bolus) was administered to 12 healthy adults (50% female). Serum OXT was measured before and 10, 20, 40, and 60 min after KP administration.

Results: Males and females did not differ significantly in age, BMI, or baseline OXT levels. Ten minutes after KP, OXT increased by 18.8% from baseline (FDR-P = .004) with a greater increase in males than females (31.9% vs 5.7%, respectively, FDR-P = .004).

Conclusions: Our data support KP as a candidate for a provocative test to identify OXT-D in males.

Clinical trial registration: Our study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00914823).

Keywords: kisspeptin; oxytocin deficiency; posterior pituitary; provocative test.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: F.P. and E.A.L. are inventors on US provisional patent application no. 63/467,980 (Oxytocin-based therapeutics to improve cognitive control in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). K.K.M. has received study medication and investigator-initiated research grants from Amgen and has equity in Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), General Electric, Boston Scientific, and Becton Dickinson. S.B.S. has a financial interest in SeNa Therapeutics. E.A.L receives grant support and research study drug from Tonix Pharmaceuticals and receives royalties from UpToDate. E.A.L. and/or immediate family member holds stock in Thermo Fisher Scientific, Zoetis, Danaher Corporation, Intuitive Surgical, Merck and West Pharmaceutical Services.

References

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