Intertwined associations between oxytocin, immune system and major depressive disorder

Junliang Jiang; Miaoxian Yang; Mi Tian; Zhong Chen; Lei Xiao; Ye Gong

doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114852

Intertwined associations between oxytocin, immune system and major depressive disorder

Biomed Pharmacother. 2023 Jul:163:114852. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114852. Epub 2023 May 8.

Authors

Junliang Jiang¹, Miaoxian Yang², Mi Tian², Zhong Chen³, Lei Xiao⁴, Ye Gong⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Yunnan University, Kunming, China; Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
³ Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Yunnan University, Kunming, China. Electronic address: chenzhongdr@ynu.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: leixiao@fudan.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: gong_ye@fudan.edu.cn.

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prominent psychiatric disorder with a high prevalence rate. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already high prevalence of MDD. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of patients are unresponsive to conventional treatments, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic strategies. Oxytocin, an endogenous neuropeptide, has emerged as a promising candidate with anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. Oxytocin has been shown to alleviate emotional disorders by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the central immune system. The dysfunction of the immune system has been strongly linked to the onset and progression of depression. The central immune system is believed to be a key target of oxytocin in ameliorating emotional disorders. In this review, we examine the evidence regarding the interactions between oxytocin, the immune system, and depressive disorder. Moreover, we summarize and speculate on the potential roles of the intertwined association between oxytocin and the central immune system in treating emotional disorders.

Keywords: Depression; HPA axis; Immune system; Inflammation; Oxytocin.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Depressive Disorder, Major* / drug therapy
Humans
Hydrocortisone
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System
Oxytocin / therapeutic use
Pandemics
Pituitary-Adrenal System

Substances

Oxytocin
Hydrocortisone