Probiotic and intra-nasal oxytocin combination therapy on autonomic function and gut-brain axis signaling in young children and teens with autism spectrum disorder.

Kong XJ, Kang J, Liu K

Journal of psychiatric research12 Aug 2023Cited by 5 (Europe PMC)

PMID37639877DOI10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.08.006PepBankPUB-37639877

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: CC BY-NC. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study6

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.

01HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialMechanism
In people with autism spectrum disorder, improvement in LF power with combination therapy correlated with the body's own baseline oxytocin levels.
In plain wordsIn people with autism, the change in one heart measure after combination treatment was linked to the body's own starting oxytocin levels.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
Not applicableCorrelation of baseline oxytocin level with LF power response
Study
n: not reported in source
Outcome group
Autonomic function · Nervous system and cognition
Measurements
Correlation r (LF power vs baseline OT)
−0.86 r
combination therapy
Source sentences
Summary
Several parameters that demonstrated significant improvements in combination therapy were found to be correlated with baseline levels of OT (LF power: r = -0.86, p = 0.024; mean HR: r = 0.89, p = 0.012).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
We conducted the present study that includes 35 individuals with ASD aged 3-20 years to explore autonomic responses to daily Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplementation and OT nasal spray treatment both alone and in combination.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-3763987705
02HumanEndogenous levelRandomized controlled trialMechanism
In people with autism spectrum disorder, improvement in mean heart rate with combination therapy correlated with the body's own baseline oxytocin levels.
In plain wordsIn people with autism, the change in mean heart rate after combination treatment was linked to the body's own starting oxytocin levels.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
Not applicableCorrelation of baseline oxytocin level with mean heart rate response
Study
n: not reported in source
Outcome group
Autonomic function · Nervous system and cognition
Measurements
Correlation r (mean HR vs baseline OT)
0.89 r
combination therapy
Source sentences
Summary
Several parameters that demonstrated significant improvements in combination therapy were found to be correlated with baseline levels of OT (LF power: r = -0.86, p = 0.024; mean HR: r = 0.89, p = 0.012).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
We conducted the present study that includes 35 individuals with ASD aged 3-20 years to explore autonomic responses to daily Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplementation and OT nasal spray treatment both alone and in combination.
This result measures the body's own Oxytocin. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-3763987706

Studies that did not test the peptide alone4

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.

03HumanNot a test of Oxytocin aloneRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In people with autism spectrum disorder, combined Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic and oxytocin nasal spray improved RMSSD compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with autism, a probiotic plus oxytocin spray improved a heart rate variability measure versus placebo. The effect is not oxytocin alone.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseHeart rate variability RMSSD, probiotic plus oxytocin versus placebo
Study
n = 35
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Autonomic function · Nervous system and cognition
Source sentences
Summary
We identified significant improvements in autonomic indices from subjects receiving combination treatment relative to those receiving placebo.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Parameters that were observed to improve following combination treatment are time domain metrics of heart rate variability (HRV), including the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD)
Summary · context
We conducted the present study that includes 35 individuals with ASD aged 3-20 years to explore autonomic responses to daily Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplementation and OT nasal spray treatment both alone and in combination.
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.
Report a problemFND-3763987701
04HumanNot a test of Oxytocin aloneRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In people with autism spectrum disorder, combined Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic and oxytocin nasal spray improved SDNN compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with autism, a probiotic plus oxytocin spray improved a heart rate variability measure versus placebo. The effect is not oxytocin alone.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseHeart rate variability SDNN, probiotic plus oxytocin versus placebo
Study
n = 35
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Autonomic function · Nervous system and cognition
Source sentences
Summary
We identified significant improvements in autonomic indices from subjects receiving combination treatment relative to those receiving placebo.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN)
Summary · context
We conducted the present study that includes 35 individuals with ASD aged 3-20 years to explore autonomic responses to daily Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplementation and OT nasal spray treatment both alone and in combination.
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.
Report a problemFND-3763987702
05HumanNot a test of Oxytocin aloneRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In people with autism spectrum disorder, combined Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic and oxytocin nasal spray improved pNN50 compared with placebo.
In plain wordsIn people with autism, a probiotic plus oxytocin spray improved a heart rate variability measure versus placebo. The effect is not oxytocin alone.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
IncreaseHeart rate variability pNN50, probiotic plus oxytocin versus placebo
Study
n = 35
Comparator
Placebo
Outcome group
Autonomic function · Nervous system and cognition
Source sentences
Summary
We identified significant improvements in autonomic indices from subjects receiving combination treatment relative to those receiving placebo.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
proportion of the number of pairs of adjacent NN intervals that differ by more than 50ms (pNN50, p < 0.05)
Summary · context
We conducted the present study that includes 35 individuals with ASD aged 3-20 years to explore autonomic responses to daily Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplementation and OT nasal spray treatment both alone and in combination.
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.
Report a problemFND-3763987703
06HumanNot a test of Oxytocin aloneRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome
In people with autism spectrum disorder, those who received either the probiotic alone or oxytocin alone showed fewer changes in RMSSD, pNN50 and SDNN; the abstract does not name the comparison group, and the result is pooled across both single treatments.
In plain wordsIn people with autism, those given only the probiotic or only oxytocin showed fewer changes in heart rate variability measures. No comparison group is named.
Peptide
Oxytocin
Outcome
Direction not reportedRMSSD, pNN50 and SDNN with probiotic alone or oxytocin alone
Study
n = 35
Outcome group
Autonomic function · Nervous system and cognition
Source sentences
Summary
Furthermore, individuals that received either probiotics or OT alone demonstrated fewer changes in RMSSD, pNN50, and SDNN.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
We conducted the present study that includes 35 individuals with ASD aged 3-20 years to explore autonomic responses to daily Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplementation and OT nasal spray treatment both alone and in combination.
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.
Report a problemFND-3763987704

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, 00:50 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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