Oxytocin: physiological and pathophysiological determinants. A review

Abstract

Oxytocin is a pleiotropic peptide hormone that plays a leading role in the implementation of the tonomotor activity of the myometrium during labor. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in understanding the complex neurobiology of the oxytocin system, including oxytocinergic pathways, local release patterns and distribution of oxytocin receptors in the brain, and intra-neuronal oxytocin receptor signaling. This article presents the view of modern researchers on the biological functions of the hormone, including its participation in onco- and immunogenesis, as well as in the implementation of adaptation, reproduction and social behavior in humans.