Skip to content

Study · Measured the body's own peptide · 2018

2 results

Oxytocin receptor gene variations and socio-emotional effects of MDMA: A pooled analysis of controlled studies in healthy subjects.

Vizeli P, Liechti ME

PloS one18 Jun 2018Cited by 29 (Europe PMC)

PMID29912955 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC6005537 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0199384 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-29912955
Download PDFPubMedAsk about this study
Jump to 2 results

Summary

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) increases oxytocin, empathy, and prosociality. Oxytocin plays a critical role in emotion processing and social behavior and has been shown to mediate the prosocial effects of MDMA in animals. Genetic variants, such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) may influence the emotional and social effects of MDMA in humans. The effects of common genetic variants of the OXTR (rs53576, rs1042778, and rs2254298 SNPs) on the emotional, empathogenic, and prosocial effects of MDMA were characterized in up to 132 healthy subjects in a pooled analysis of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. In a subset of 53 subjects, MDMA produced significantly greater feelings of trust in rs1042778 TT genotypes compared with G allele carriers. The rs53576 and rs225498 SNPs did not moderate the subjective effects of MDMA in up to 132 subjects. None of the SNPs moderated MDMA-induced impairments in negative facial emotion recognition or enhancements in emotional empathy in the Multifaceted Empathy Test in 69 subjects. MDMA significantly increased plasma oxytocin concentrations. MDMA and oxytocin concentrations did not differ between OXTR gene variants. The present results provide preliminary evidence that OXTR gene variations may modulate aspects of the prosocial subjective effects of MDMA in humans. However, interpretation should be cautious due to the small sample size. Additionally, OXTR SNPs did not moderate the subjective overall effect of MDMA (any drug effect) or feelings of "closeness to others".Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, No: NCT00886886, NCT00990067, NCT01136278, NCT01270672, NCT01386177, NCT01465685, NCT01771874, and NCT01951508.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

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

Natural levels measured2

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. 01HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialOther

    In healthy subjects, MDMA significantly increased plasma oxytocin concentrations versus placebo.

    In plain wordsIn healthy people, MDMA raised the body's own oxytocin levels in blood more than placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    IncreasePlasma oxytocin after MDMA
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Sex hormones and fertility · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    MDMA significantly increased plasma oxytocin concentrations.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The effects of common genetic variants of the OXTR (rs53576, rs1042778, and rs2254298 SNPs) on the emotional, empathogenic, and prosocial effects of MDMA were characterized in up to 132 healthy subjects in a pooled analysis of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

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

  2. 02HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialOther

    In healthy subjects given MDMA, oxytocin concentrations did not differ between OXTR gene variants.

    In plain wordsIn healthy people given MDMA, the body's own oxytocin levels did not differ between oxytocin receptor gene variants.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changePlasma oxytocin by OXTR genotype
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Sex hormones and fertility · Endocrine and hormones

    Source sentences

    Summary
    MDMA and oxytocin concentrations did not differ between OXTR gene variants.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    The effects of common genetic variants of the OXTR (rs53576, rs1042778, and rs2254298 SNPs) on the emotional, empathogenic, and prosocial effects of MDMA were characterized in up to 132 healthy subjects in a pooled analysis of eight double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

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

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, 02:49 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.