Reproductive hormone stability with prolonged intranasal oxytocin in adults with obesity

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Oxytocin in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Given the well-established role of oxytocin in reproduction, it is important to examine intranasal oxytocin effects on prolactin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis.

Preclinical studies indicate that regulation of oxytocin, prolactin, and sex steroids in both sexes are intertwined; however, data in humans are limited, and no studies have reported the effects of prolonged oxytocin administration on prolactin or the HPG axis OBJECTIVE: To elucidate physiology and generate preliminary data regarding reproductive safety of prolonged intranasal oxytocin, the researchers leveraged a completed trial to investigate oxytocin effects on circulating prolactin and sex steroid levels in adults with obesity.

Why It Was Studied

Oxytocin, a posterior pituitary hormone known for its role in parturition and lactation, is also implicated in many physiologic functions.

Intranasal oxytocin is under investigation for obesity treatment, among other indications.

Who Took Part

PubMed indexes the participants as adults, both men and women.

Main outcome measures were pre- and post-treatment fasting estradiol, testosterone, and prolactin; exploratory outcome measure was on-treatment menstrual cycle length.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Oxytocin and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Oxytocin could be set against what happens without it.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Oxytocin, Obesity, Prolactin, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis, Estradiol, Testosterone and Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of Oxytocin.

Its findings take up roughly 3 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2026 (International journal of obesity (2005)), a journal based in England.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page, all human trials.