EN
In the last quarter century, new neurobiological functions of oxytocin (OXY) have been documented. Apart from the important hormonal roles of OXY in the reproductive system (parturition, lactation), it also acts as a neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator via specific oxytocin receptors(OXYR) in different central nervous structures and peripheral tissues. A high density of OXYR in nervous structures has been confirmed in the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, striatum, septum, spinal cord, and prefrontal cerebral cortex, which are responsible for states of tension and high emotional intensity, as well as in the adrenal gland – the terminal segment of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-adrenal axis. OXY is a particularly important neurohormone in the physiopathology of social behaviours and mental states, such as fear, anxiety, aggression, depression, schizophrenia, and autism in humans. The anti-stress and anxiolytic effects of OXY are based mainly on its antagonistic influence on Glu and DA, and on its stimulating influence on the GABAergic central inhibitory system. In addition, OXY inhibits cortisol and CA (stress hormones) release from the cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland during stress.