Oxytocin, the “Love Hormone,” May Cure A Heart

February 14, 2023
woman forming heart with her hands

What if the best healer is love? If so, then we completely agree with this study.

The brain, more specifically the hypothalamus, produces oxytocin, which gets into the blood. It is frequently referred to as a “love hormone” since it makes us feel good and promotes social connections. However, a study utilizing cells of human as well as of Danio rerio, a freshwater fish, suggests that oxytocin may be capable to make hearts healthy following a cardiovascular disorder.

How can a hormone cure?

Oxytocin (further mentioned as OT) is a peptide hormone that can trigger the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of the uterine smooth muscle as well as aid control the  secretion of milk from the mammary glands, and testosterone synthesis, in addition to making people feel good.

The outer and the middle layer are two of the layers that make up the heart. Cardiac myocytes, cells in charge of cardiac contraction, perish during a cardiovascular attack. These cells can’t refill themselves, which can be an issue. However, recent investigations have showed that a certain group of cells in the heart’s outer layer can be reset to produce cells EpiPCs. This is significant because cardiac myocytes can develop from EpiPCs during rejuvenation.

EpiPC production is typically ineffective for heart rejuvenation under ordinary circumstances, necessitating the development of other ways.

Danio rerio were employed as a model organism because they can regenerate their hearts after losing a fourth of them, typically by cardiac myocyte generation and EpiPCs.

Why do Danio rerio accomplish this? By stopping the fish’s heart in an effort to get an answer, the researchers discovered that the mRNA for OT was expressed twentyfold more in the brain. After binding to the OT receptor in the heart’s outer layers, OT releases a series of chemical reactions in which the products of one reaction are consumed in the next reaction that causes nearby cells to grow and mature into EpiPCs. Then, to become cardiac myocytes, they move towards the heart middle layer.

However, is this exclusive to Danio rerio?

Okay, no. The study group then examined human tissue. Only OT was discovered to encourage IPSs – cells appeared from adult somatic cells to turn into EpiPCs after 15 other body’s chemical messengers were examined. The EpiPCs were not stimulated to renew when the neuroendocrine receptors were taken out.

OT is frequently utilized in medical settings for other purposes, so it is not out of the question to use it again for people who have suffered heart attack. The next step is to examine human OT levels following heart disorder. Because this hormone is transient in the bloodstream, its effects on people may be diminished. In this situation, medications made with an extended  time required to reduce to half of its initial value or higher potency may be helpful. In general, follow-up studies are required to progress.

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