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Study · Measured the body's own peptide · 2011

2 results

Evidence for a role of oxytocin receptors in the long-term establishment of dominance hierarchies.

Timmer M, Cordero MI, Sevelinges Y, Sandi C

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology13 Jul 2011Cited by 53 (Europe PMC)

PMID21750583 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC3176572 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/npp.2011.125 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-21750583
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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 study2

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

Natural levels measured1

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.

  1. 01AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In male rats, stress-potentiated social hierarchy was accompanied by social status- and region-specific changes in expression of the body's own oxytocin receptor gene in the medial amygdala 3 h after the encounter.

    In plain wordsIn rats, stress that strengthened social rank was linked to changes in the body's own oxytocin receptor gene activity in one brain region.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    MixedOxytocin receptor (Otr) mRNA expression in the medial amygdala 3 h after hierarchy establishment
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Social hierarchy model with two male rats, with or without stress
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    We found that the potentiation of a social hierarchy induced by stress is accompanied by social status- and region-specific changes in the expression of Otr mRNA in the MeA 3 h after the social encounter.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this study, we investigated the changes in the expression of oxytocin (Otr) and vasopressin (V1aR) receptor genes in the medial amygdala (MeA) and the lateral septum (LS) in the hours following hierarchy establishment under both stressed and basal conditions.

    This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

Studies that did not test the peptide alone1

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. 02AnimalNot a test of Oxytocin aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In male rats, microinfusion of an oxytocin receptor antagonist into the medial amygdala after acquiring subordinate status suggested a role for the receptor in the long-term establishment of that status.

    In plain wordsIn rats, blocking the oxytocin receptor in one brain region after losing a social encounter suggested the receptor helps lock in lower rank.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    Not applicableEffect of oxytocin receptor antagonist on long-term subordinate status
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    Social hierarchy model with two male rats, with or without stress
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Results from pharmacological experiments involving the microinfusion of a specific OTR antagonist immediately after the acquisition of a subordinate status under basal, non-stress conditions suggested a role for this receptor in the MeA on the long-term establishment of the subordinate status.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In this study, we investigated the changes in the expression of oxytocin (Otr) and vasopressin (V1aR) receptor genes in the medial amygdala (MeA) and the lateral septum (LS) in the hours following hierarchy establishment under both stressed and basal conditions.

    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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