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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 53 · 2024

6 results

The interaction of oxytocin and nicotine addiction on psychosocial stress: an fMRI study.

Ren J, Zhang Y, Song H, Gou H, Zhao Q, Hong W, Piao Y, Chen Y, Chen Y, Wen S, Du Z, Li C and 4 more

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Qiu B, Ma Y, Zhang X, Wei Z

Translational psychiatry30 Aug 2024Cited by 5 (Europe PMC)

PMID39214996 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC11364850 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s41398-024-03016-5 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-39214996
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Summary

The anxiolytic effect of oxytocin (OXT) on psychosocial stress has been well documented, but the effectiveness under the interference of other factors still requires in-depth research. Previous studies have shown that nicotine addiction interacts with OXT on psychosocial stress on the behavioral level. However, the underlying neural mechanism of interaction between OXT and nicotine addiction on psychosocial stress has not been examined, and we conducted two experiments to reveal it. Firstly, after intranasal administration of randomized OXT or placebo (saline), a group of healthy participants (n = 27) and a group of smokers (n = 26) completed the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) in an MRI scanner. Secondly, a group of smokers (n = 22) was recruited to complete a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) experiment, in which anodal tDCS was applied on subjects' anterior right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG). In both experiment, subjective stress ratings, salivary cortisol samples and the amount of daily cigarette consumption were obtained from each participant. Analysis of variance were applied on both behavioral and neural data to examine the effects of OXT and nicotine addiction, and correlation analysis were used to examine relationships between neural and behavioral data. In first fMRI experiment, analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed an interaction of OXT and nicotine addiction on subjective stress. In smokers, OXT failed to suppress the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after psychosocial stress. A voxel-wise ANOVA of fMRI data identified an interaction between OXT and nicotine addiction in anterior rSTG, and its functional connectivity with right middle frontal gyrus. Correlations between this functional connectivity and subjective psychosocial stress were also found abnormal in smokers. In second tDCS experiment, we found that under tDCS, OXT successfully suppressed the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after stress. In summary, we found that nicotine addiction blocked OXT's anxiolytic on psychosocial stress, which was related to abnormalities in anterior rSTG. By applying anodal tDCS on anterior rSTG, OXT's anxiolytic effect was restored in smokers. These findings will support further development on oxytocin's intervention of psychosocial stress in nicotine addiction, and provides essential information for indicating OXT's effectiveness.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study6

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. 6 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In healthy participants and smokers, the effect of intranasal oxytocin on subjective stress depended on nicotine addiction.

    In plain wordsIn healthy people and smokers, the stress effect of nasal oxytocin differed depending on nicotine addiction.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    MixedSubjective psychosocial stress, interaction of oxytocin and nicotine addiction
    Study

    n = 53

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In first fMRI experiment, analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed an interaction of OXT and nicotine addiction on subjective stress.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    after intranasal administration of randomized OXT or placebo (saline), a group of healthy participants (n = 27) and a group of smokers (n = 26)
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In healthy participants and smokers, an interaction between intranasal oxytocin and nicotine addiction appeared in the anterior right superior temporal gyrus and its functional connectivity with the right middle frontal gyrus.

    In plain wordsIn healthy people and smokers, the brain effect of nasal oxytocin differed with nicotine addiction in one temporal brain region.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    MixedAnterior right superior temporal gyrus activation, interaction of oxytocin and nicotine addiction
    Study

    n = 53

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Brain and neuronal activity · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    A voxel-wise ANOVA of fMRI data identified an interaction between OXT and nicotine addiction in anterior rSTG, and its functional connectivity with right middle frontal gyrus.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    after intranasal administration of randomized OXT or placebo (saline), a group of healthy participants (n = 27) and a group of smokers (n = 26)
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In smokers, intranasal oxytocin did not suppress the rise in subjective stress after psychosocial stress compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn smokers, nasal oxytocin did not reduce the rise in stress after a stress task compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeSubjective stress elevation after psychosocial stress in smokers
    Study

    n = 26

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In smokers, OXT failed to suppress the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after psychosocial stress.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    after intranasal administration of randomized OXT or placebo (saline), a group of healthy participants (n = 27) and a group of smokers (n = 26)
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In smokers, intranasal oxytocin did not suppress the rise in craving ratings after psychosocial stress compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn smokers, nasal oxytocin did not reduce the rise in craving after a stress task compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    No significant changeCraving elevation after psychosocial stress in smokers
    Study

    n = 26

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In smokers, OXT failed to suppress the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after psychosocial stress.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    after intranasal administration of randomized OXT or placebo (saline), a group of healthy participants (n = 27) and a group of smokers (n = 26)
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In smokers receiving anodal tDCS over the anterior right superior temporal gyrus, intranasal oxytocin suppressed the rise in subjective stress after psychosocial stress compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn smokers given brain stimulation, nasal oxytocin reduced the rise in stress after a stress task compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseSubjective stress elevation after stress under tDCS in smokers
    Study

    n = 22

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In second tDCS experiment, we found that under tDCS, OXT successfully suppressed the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after stress.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Secondly, a group of smokers (n = 22) was recruited to complete a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) experiment, in which anodal tDCS was applied on subjects' anterior right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG).
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In smokers receiving anodal tDCS over the anterior right superior temporal gyrus, intranasal oxytocin suppressed the rise in craving ratings after psychosocial stress compared with placebo.

    In plain wordsIn smokers given brain stimulation, nasal oxytocin reduced the rise in craving after a stress task compared with placebo.

    Peptide
    Oxytocin
    Outcome
    DecreaseCraving elevation after stress under tDCS in smokers
    Study

    n = 22

    Comparator
    Placebo
    Outcome group
    Anxiety and mood · Mental health and mood
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · intranasalAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In second tDCS experiment, we found that under tDCS, OXT successfully suppressed the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after stress.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Secondly, a group of smokers (n = 22) was recruited to complete a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) experiment, in which anodal tDCS was applied on subjects' anterior right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG).

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, 00:50 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. 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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