Oxytocin neurones are recruited into co-ordinated fluctuations of firing before bursting in the rat.

Moos F, Fontanaud P, Mekaouche M, Brown D

Neuroscience1 Jan 2004Cited by 19 (Europe PMC)

PMID15062982DOI10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.01.033PepBankPUB-15062982

Publisher page PubMedAsk about this study

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 study7

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

Natural levels measured7

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.

01AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, negative autocorrelation on a 0.5-2 s time scale occurred in basal activity between bursts and in non-bursting oxytocin neurones.
In plain wordsIn rats, the body's own oxytocin neurones showed a steady firing pattern between bursts and also when they were not bursting.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
Not applicableNegative autocorrelation in basal activity of oxytocin neurones
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Lactating rats, simultaneous recordings of oxytocin neurones
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Reproductive and sexual health
Source sentences
Summary
Negative autocorrelation on a time scale of 0.5-2 s occurs in basal activity between bursts but also in non-bursting oxytocin neurones, and can therefore be associated with the system's homeostatic role.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
With the object of understanding how oxytocin neuronal networks manage both roles during lactation, we analysed basal activity between bursts in simultaneously recorded neurones to reveal potentially adaptive changes in network behaviour.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1506298201
02AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, suckling induced bursting and increasing positively correlated fluctuations in firing in some simultaneously recorded oxytocin neurones between bursts.
In plain wordsIn rats, some of the body's own oxytocin neurones fired in more coordinated ways between bursts while pups suckled.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreasePositively correlated fluctuations in firing between bursts
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Lactating rats, simultaneous recordings of oxytocin neurones
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Reproductive and sexual health
Source sentences
Summary
Although the system responds to the pups suckling by the induction of bursting, there are also increasing fluctuations in firing that are positively correlated in some simultaneously recorded neurones during basal activity between bursts.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
With the object of understanding how oxytocin neuronal networks manage both roles during lactation, we analysed basal activity between bursts in simultaneously recorded neurones to reveal potentially adaptive changes in network behaviour.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1506298202
03AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, cross-correlation between oxytocin neurones strengthened a few seconds before bursts.
In plain wordsIn rats, the body's own oxytocin neurones fired more in step with each other just before a burst.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseCross-correlation of oxytocin neurones before bursts
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Lactating rats, simultaneous recordings of oxytocin neurones
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Reproductive and sexual health
Source sentences
Summary
A few seconds before bursts, cross-correlation strengthens, irregularity of firing increases, and serial correlation (autocorrelation) weakens, all substantially.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
With the object of understanding how oxytocin neuronal networks manage both roles during lactation, we analysed basal activity between bursts in simultaneously recorded neurones to reveal potentially adaptive changes in network behaviour.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1506298203
04AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, irregularity of oxytocin neurone firing increased a few seconds before bursts.
In plain wordsIn rats, the body's own oxytocin neurones fired less regularly just before a burst.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseIrregularity of firing before bursts
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Lactating rats, simultaneous recordings of oxytocin neurones
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Reproductive and sexual health
Source sentences
Summary
A few seconds before bursts, cross-correlation strengthens, irregularity of firing increases, and serial correlation (autocorrelation) weakens, all substantially.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
With the object of understanding how oxytocin neuronal networks manage both roles during lactation, we analysed basal activity between bursts in simultaneously recorded neurones to reveal potentially adaptive changes in network behaviour.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1506298204
05AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, serial correlation (autocorrelation) of oxytocin neurone firing weakened a few seconds before bursts.
In plain wordsIn rats, the body's own oxytocin neurones showed less self-repeating firing just before a burst.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
DecreaseSerial correlation (autocorrelation) before bursts
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Lactating rats, simultaneous recordings of oxytocin neurones
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Reproductive and sexual health
Source sentences
Summary
A few seconds before bursts, cross-correlation strengthens, irregularity of firing increases, and serial correlation (autocorrelation) weakens, all substantially.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
With the object of understanding how oxytocin neuronal networks manage both roles during lactation, we analysed basal activity between bursts in simultaneously recorded neurones to reveal potentially adaptive changes in network behaviour.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1506298205
06AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, after pharmacological treatments that facilitate bursting, cross-correlation and irregularity of oxytocin neurone firing increased and autocorrelation weakened.
In plain wordsIn rats, drugs that help bursting made the body's own oxytocin neurones fire more in step and less regularly.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
MixedFiring correlation measures after treatments that facilitate bursting
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Lactating rats, simultaneous recordings of oxytocin neurones
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Reproductive and sexual health
Source sentences
Summary
After pharmacological treatments known to facilitate bursting, cross-correlation and irregularity of firing increase and autocorrelation weakens
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
With the object of understanding how oxytocin neuronal networks manage both roles during lactation, we analysed basal activity between bursts in simultaneously recorded neurones to reveal potentially adaptive changes in network behaviour.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1506298206
07AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism
In rats, the reverse pattern of cross-correlation, irregularity and autocorrelation occurred in conditions that delay bursting, such as hyperosmotic stress.
In plain wordsIn rats, conditions that delay bursting, such as salty stress, gave the opposite firing pattern in the body's own oxytocin neurones.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
MixedFiring correlation measures in conditions that delay bursting
Study
ratn: not reported in source
Lactating rats, simultaneous recordings of oxytocin neurones
Outcome group
Brain and neuronal activity · Reproductive and sexual health
Source sentences
Summary
and the reverse occurs in conditions that delay bursting (hyperosmotic stress and pharmacological interventions).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
With the object of understanding how oxytocin neuronal networks manage both roles during lactation, we analysed basal activity between bursts in simultaneously recorded neurones to reveal potentially adaptive changes in network behaviour.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1506298207

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

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, 02:51 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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