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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · rat · 2011

5 results

The neuropeptide oxytocin facilitates pro-social behavior and prevents social avoidance in rats and mice.

Lukas M, Toth I, Reber SO, Slattery DA, Veenema AH, Neumann ID

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology15 Jun 2011Cited by 326 (Europe PMC)

PMID21677650 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC3176581 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/npp.2011.95 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-21677650
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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 study5

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In male rats with social avoidance after a single social defeat, i.c.v. infusion of synthetic oxytocin before the test restored social preference.

    In plain wordsIn rats that avoided others after social defeat, oxytocin infused into the brain restored their social preference.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreaseSocial preference after social defeat
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    0.1 ug/5 ul · intracerebroventricularAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Previous exposure of male rats to a single social defeat resulted in loss of their social preference and social avoidance, which could be restored by i.c.v. infusion of synthetic OT (0.1 μg/5 μl) 20 min before the social preference test.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, this study aims to reveal pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), under both basal and stress-induced social avoidance conditions in rodents using a social preference paradigm.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In rats, oxytocin given into subnuclei of the amygdala did not affect stress-induced social preference behavior.

    In plain wordsIn rats, oxytocin given into the amygdala did not change social preference after stress.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeStress-induced social preference after OT in the amygdala
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    0.01 ug/1 ul · bilateral amygdalaAs given in this study (rat).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    bilateral OTR-A (0.1 μg/1 μl) or OT (0.01 μg/1 μl) administration into various subnuclei of the amygdala did not affect basal or stress-induced social preference behavior, respectively
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, this study aims to reveal pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), under both basal and stress-induced social avoidance conditions in rodents using a social preference paradigm.

Studies that did not test the peptide alone3

In this study, Oxytocin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Oxytocin.

  1. 03AnimalNot a test of Oxytocin aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In naive male rats and mice, intracerebroventricular oxytocin receptor antagonist reduced social exploration of a novel con-specific, indicating attenuated social preference.

    In plain wordsIn rats and mice, blocking the oxytocin receptor in the brain reduced social exploration of a new animal.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseSocial exploration of a novel con-specific after OT receptor antagonist
    Study

    rat, mousen: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood

    Source sentences

    Summary
    We initially show that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) application of an OT receptor antagonist (OTR-A) in naïve male rats (0.75 μg/5 μl), or mice (20 μg/2 μl), reduced social exploration of a novel con-specific indicative of attenuated social preference.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, this study aims to reveal pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), under both basal and stress-induced social avoidance conditions in rodents using a social preference paradigm.

    In this study, Oxytocin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Oxytocin.

  2. 04AnimalNot a test of Oxytocin aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In rats, an oxytocin receptor antagonist given into subnuclei of the amygdala did not affect basal social preference behavior.

    In plain wordsIn rats, blocking the oxytocin receptor in the amygdala did not change normal social preference.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeBasal social preference after OT receptor antagonist in the amygdala
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Social behavior and cognition · Mental health and mood

    Source sentences

    Summary
    bilateral OTR-A (0.1 μg/1 μl) or OT (0.01 μg/1 μl) administration into various subnuclei of the amygdala did not affect basal or stress-induced social preference behavior, respectively
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, this study aims to reveal pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), under both basal and stress-induced social avoidance conditions in rodents using a social preference paradigm.

    In this study, Oxytocin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Oxytocin.

  3. 05AnimalNot a test of Oxytocin aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In rats, the oxytocin receptor antagonist did not affect non-social anxiety on the elevated plus-maze.

    In plain wordsIn rats, blocking the oxytocin receptor did not change anxiety measured in a non-social maze test.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeNon-social anxiety on the elevated plus-maze after OT receptor antagonist
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood

    Source sentences

    Summary
    with OTR-A not affecting non-social anxiety on the elevated plus-maze.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Therefore, this study aims to reveal pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), under both basal and stress-induced social avoidance conditions in rodents using a social preference paradigm.

    In this study, Oxytocin was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Oxytocin.

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.

  1. Version 2Current

    11 Oct 2026, 01:30 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:50 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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