Alterations in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and its oxytocin neurons (putative satiety cells) in Prader-Willi syndrome: a study of five cases.

Swaab DF, Purba JS, Hofman MA

The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism1 Feb 1995Cited by 299 (Europe PMC)

PMID7852523DOI10.1210/jcem.80.2.7852523PepBankPUB-07852523

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study3

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Natural levels measured3

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

01HumanEndogenous levelCase report or seriesOther
In post-mortem hypothalamus from 5 patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, the number of oxytocin-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus was 42% lower than in 27 controls.
In plain wordsIn people with Prader-Willi syndrome, the brain had 42% fewer cells that make the body's own oxytocin than in controls.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseNumber of OXT-expressing neurons in the PVN
Study
n = 32
Comparator
Controls without neurological or psychiatric disease
Outcome group
Endogenous peptide levels · Nervous system and cognition
Measurements
Decrease in OXT-expressing neuron number
42%
PWS vs controls
Source sentences
Summary
A strong and highly significant decrease (42%; P = 0.016) was found in the number of OXT-expressing neurons of the PWS patients.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The PVN of 5 PWS patients (2 males and 3 females), varying in age between 22-64 yr, and 27 controls (14 males and 13 females) without any primary neurological or psychiatric diseases was morphometrically investigated after conventional staining with thionine and immunocytochemical staining for OXT a…
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0785252301
02HumanEndogenous levelCase report or seriesOther
In post-mortem hypothalamus from patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, the volume of the paraventricular nucleus that contains oxytocin-expressing neurons was 54% smaller than in controls.
In plain wordsIn people with Prader-Willi syndrome, the brain area with the body's own oxytocin cells was 54% smaller than in controls.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseVolume of the PVN containing OXT-expressing neurons
Study
n = 32
Comparator
Controls without neurological or psychiatric disease
Outcome group
Endogenous peptide levels · Nervous system and cognition
Measurements
Decrease in volume of OXT-expressing neurons
54%
PWS vs controls
Source sentences
Summary
The volume of the PVN-containing OXT-expressing neurons decreased by 54% (P = 0.028) in PWS.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The PVN of 5 PWS patients (2 males and 3 females), varying in age between 22-64 yr, and 27 controls (14 males and 13 females) without any primary neurological or psychiatric diseases was morphometrically investigated after conventional staining with thionine and immunocytochemical staining for OXT a…
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0785252302
03HumanEndogenous levelCase report or seriesOther
In post-mortem hypothalamus from patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, oxytocin immunoreactivity was decreased compared with controls, with high variability within groups.
In plain wordsIn people with Prader-Willi syndrome, the brain showed less of the body's own oxytocin signal than in controls, with wide variation.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseOXT immunoreactivity in the PVN
Study
n = 32
Comparator
Controls without neurological or psychiatric disease
Outcome group
Endogenous peptide levels · Nervous system and cognition
Source sentences
Summary
The immunoreactivity for OXT and AVP was decreased in PWS patients
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The PVN of 5 PWS patients (2 males and 3 females), varying in age between 22-64 yr, and 27 controls (14 males and 13 females) without any primary neurological or psychiatric diseases was morphometrically investigated after conventional staining with thionine and immunocytochemical staining for OXT a…
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-0785252303

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Registered trials2

Trials this study reports on, or that list this study as a reference. Registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

2 trials · 2 completed · source ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in a new tab)

CompletedNot applicableNCT03081832

Follow-up of Prader Willi Syndrome Infants Treated by Oxytocin and Comparison With Not-treated Infants.

University Hospital, Toulousen = 34Jan 2017 to Dec 2018

Prader-Willi Syndrome

Trial page ClinicalTrials.govUpdated 30 Jan 2019

CompletedNot applicableNCT03114371

Oxytocin Intranasal Administrations in Children With Prader-Willi Syndrome Aged From 3 to 12 Years

University Hospital, Toulousen = 4028 Nov 2016 to 11 Jan 2019

Prader-Willi Syndrome

Trial page ClinicalTrials.govUpdated 12 Nov 2020

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 20:03 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:53 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

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Publication types

MeSH terms

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