Download OXYTOCIN, THE HORMONE OF FEMALE ORGASM

JorgeFlechasMD,MPH
Hendersonville,NC28792
OXYTOCIN,THEHORMONEOF
FEMALEORGASM
Oxytocin
§  Oxytocincanbestimulatedtobereleasedby
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Estrogen
Secretionofoxytocinisinhibitedbyethanol
Itcanbeliberatedbysucking
PaincanreleaseoxytocinandAVP.
Chronicpainwouldhencekeepthebrainina
stateoflowoxytocinallthetime
Oxytocin
§  Manipulationordistentionofthefemale
genitaltractartificiallyorduringparturitionis
astrongerstimulustocausereleaseof
oxytocinfromthebrainthansucking
§  Harrison’sPrinciplesofInternalMedicine14th
ed.1998pg2011
OTmaybefoundlowin
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Depression(EvansJ.1997)
Autism(Panksepp1993;PankseppJ.1993)
AIDS(Purbaetal.1993)
Fibromyalgia(Anderberg,U.M.2000)
OTmaybefoundlowin
§  MultipleSclerosis(Molleretal.1985)
§  LowEstrogenstates(Amicoetal.1981)
§  LowThyroidT3(Argiolasetal.1990)
§  ChronicStressSituations(Panksepp1992;Kalinetal.
1985;Argiolasetal.1990)
OTmaybefoundlowin
§  ChronicOpioidUse(GreidanusVan
Wimersma&TenHaaf1985;GreidanusVan
Wimersma&TenHaaf1985)
§  PraderWilliSyndrome(EvansJ.1997)
§  Parkinsons(EvansJ.1997)
Molecularmimicry
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OTbehavinglikeinterleukin2inthethymus(Johnson
etal.1982)
OTbehaveslikeinsulin.Ithasonefifththeactivityof
insulin.(Hollenbergetal.1983)
OTbehaveslikeAVPtovasodilatebrainbloodvessels
(Oyamaetal.1993)
OTbehaveslikeanopioid(Millanetal.1998;Yang
1994)
OTisinhibited
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bystress
byopioidpeptides
byopioids
byfear
byanger
(Speroffetal.1989)
AutismandOxytocin
§  http://www.hugthemonkey.com/autism/
Green,L."Oxytocinandautisticdisorder:alterationsinpeptideforms."(2001).
Hollander,E."Oxytocininfusionreducesrepetitivebehaviorsinadults
withautisticandAsperger'sdisorders."(2003).
Hollander,E.,etal."Oxytocinincreasesretentionofsocial
cognitioninautism."BiolPsychiatry61.4(2007):498-503.
Oxytocin
§  Oxytocinhastheabilitytostimulate
enkephalinsandcontrolpainatthelevelof
theCNS.Itwasfrommyworkinfibromyalgia
thatwemadetheobservationsgivenduring
thislecture.
FemaleSexualDysfunction
§  InAmericaithits40millionwomen
§  31%havelowsexualdesire
§  43%havesexualdysfunction
FemaleSexualDysfunction
§  Dysfunctioncanbebrokendownto
§  HypoactiveSexualDisorder
§  SexualAversionDisorder
§  SexualArousalDisorder
§  OrgasmicDisorder
Inwomenthemainandrogen
isDHEA
§  Itcanbeinhibitedbycarbamazepine,
phenytoin,cytochromep450(CYP)3AA
inhibitorsandalcohol.Alcoholalsoinhibits
oxytocinproduction.
§  DHEAcanbestimulatedbybupropion,
digoxin,diltiazem,andcigarettesmoking
§  CrenshawTL.GoldbergJP.Sexual
pharmacology:drugsthataffectsexual
function.NewYorkWWNorton&Co.1996
SexualAversionDisorder
§  Persistentorrecurrentphobicaversiontoand
avoidanceofsexualcontactwithasexual
partner.ThiscanbeduetoChronicpelvic
pain.Thiscanaffect20millionwomenin
Americawith90percentsufferingfrom
sexualpain.
§  www.SecretSuffering.com
SexualArousalDisorder
§  23%ofallwomen
§  Seenmoreofteninmenopauseandpost
menopause
§  Secondarytodepression
§  Childrenlivingathome
§  Fluctuationintestosteronelevels
OrgasmicDisorder
§  24%ofallwomen
§  SeenmoreofteninpatientstakingSSRI
§  Maleratsgivenfluoxetinehadinhibitedsexualorgasm.
Inhumansthisoccuresinabout60%ofpatients.
§  Whentheratwasgivenoxytocin,theejaculatory
responsewasrestored.
§  CantorJMinPsychopharmacology(Berl)
§  1999;144(4):355-362
SexualDysfunctionbyAge
OxytocinandOrgasm
§  Orgasminbothmenandwomenisprimarilyunder
adrenergiccontrol.
§  Ejaculationaswellasorgasminwomenisasacralspinal
reflexmediatedprimarilybyadrenergicactivity.
§  Oxytocinplasmalevelsareincreasedduringorgasmin
menandwomen.Oxytocinlevelscorrelatewithorgasmic
intensity
§  Pharmacotherapy19(7):823-831.1999
TheTemporalLobe
§  Language(hearing,reading)
§  Readingsocialcues
§  Short-termmemory
§  Gettingmemoriesintolong-termstorage
§  Processingmusic
§  Toneofvoice
§  Moodstability
TemporalLobe
§  Recognizingobjectsandfacesbysightand
namingthem
§  Hippocampuslocatedinsidetemporallobes;
encodesnewinformationandstoresitupto
severalweeks
§  Whendamaged,youcanneitherstorenew
experiencesnorretrieveexperienceslearned
withinlastseveralweeks
TemporalLobes
§  Thehippocampusisoneoffirstareasdamagedby
Alzheimer’sdisease
§  Infrontofthehippocampusinsidethetemporallobeis
analmond-shapedstructurecalledtheamygdala.The
amygdalacoordinatesemotionalresponses.Strong
emotionscanimprovetheencodingprocessesof
hippocampalneuronsandmakeiteasiertoretrievethe
experience.Emotionallystimulatingevents(e.g.good
sex,beingmugged,etc)aremoreeasierrecalled.
DamagedTemporalLobes
§  Damagedtemporallobesleadtobothshort
andlongtermmemoryproblems,reading
difficulty,troublefindrightwordsin
conversation,troublereadingsocialcues,
moodinstability.Occasionallyreligiousor
moralpreoccupationoralackofspiritual
sensitivitycanoccur.
§  Left-sidetemporallobedamagerelatedto
temperproblems.
RightTemporalLobe
§  Spiritualexperiencesandinsightssuch
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asfeelingGod’spresence
Orgasmshavebeenfoundtoactivate
thispartofthebrain
Peoplewhohaveseizuresinthisareaof
thebraincansometimeexperiencean
orgasmpriortoseizure
Thisareastronglystimulatedby
oxytocin
Fromthebookin2007:SexontheBrain
byD.G.Amen,MD
OxytocinandOrgasm
§  Inmen,releasednorepinephrineactsona-
adrenergicreceptorsofsmoothmusclesof
thevasdeferens,prostate,andseminal
vesselstocontractandpropelseminalfluid
intothebulbarurethra(emission).
§  Pharmacotherapy19(7):823-831.1999
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DefinitionofOrgasmby
C.Meston:J.ofSexual
Orgasmisasensationofintensepleasurecreating
MedicineVol.1,No.1,
analteredconsciousnessstate
2004pg66-68
accompaniedbypelvicstriatedcircumvaginal
musculatureanduterine/analcontractionsand
§  myotoniathatresolvessexually-induced
vasocongestionandinduceswell-being/
contentment.In1,749randomly-sampledU.S.
women,24%reportedanorgasmicdysfunction.
OxytocinandHugging
§  Huggingyourhusbands/partnersin
premenopausalwomenendedupinthebody
producinghigherlevelsofoxytocin,whichisa
vasodilatorandhenceloweredtheBPofthe
women.P<0.05
§  LightK.C.,BiolPsychol2005:69(1):5-21
OxytocinandMultiple
Orgasms
§  Womenwhoaremultiorgasmichavemuch
highlevelsofplasmaoxytocinandahigher
subjectiveintensity.
§  CarmichaelMSArchivesofSexualBehavior
vol23,number1,Feb1994
Orgasmisaspinalcordreflex
§  Orgasmisaspinalcordreflexinitiatedby
stimulationofthedorsalhornnuclei
§  Thedorsalrootgangliadevelopinthe
embryofromneuralcrestcells,not
neuraltube.Hence,thespinalgangliacanbe
regardedasgraymatterofthespinalcord
thatbecametranslocatedtotheperiphery.
Dorsalrootganglionneurons
§  Theaxonsofdorsalrootganglionneuronsare
knownasafferents.Inthe
peripheralnervoussystem,afferentsreferto
theaxonsthatrelaysensoryinformationinto
thecentralnervoussystem(i.e.thebrainand
thespinalcord).
Dorsalrootganglionneurons
§  Unlikethemajorityofneuronsfoundin
thecentralnervoussystem,an
actionpotentialinposteriorrootganglion
neuronmayinitiateinthedistalprocessinthe
periphery,bypassthecellbody,andcontinue
topropagatealongtheproximalprocessuntil
reachingthesynapticterminalin
theposteriorhornofspinalcord
OxytocinandtheSpinalCord
§  Theresultssuggestthattheparaventriculo-spinal
pathwayisparticularlyrelatedtospecificgroupsof
sympatheticandparasympatheticpreganglionic
neurons,andtothemarginalzone,whichisinvolved
intherelayofascendingnociceptiveinformation
throughthespinothalamictract.
§  JCompNeurol.1979Nov1;188(1):87-106.
§  Thedistributionofoxytocin-andneurophysin-
stainedfibersinthespinalcordoftheratand
monkey.
§  SwansonLW,McKellarS.
Topicaloxytocinreversesvaginal
atrophyinpostmenopausalwomen:a
double-blindrandomizedpilotstudy
§  Twentypostmenopausalwomen(atleasttwoyearsafter
menopause)withsymptomsofvaginalatrophysuchas
vaginaldryness,pain,itching,discomfortandbleeding
duringintercoursewereenrolledinthestudywhenvisual
inspectionofthevaginahadconfirmedthattheirmucosa
wasatrophic.Theparticipantswererandomizedto
intravaginaltreatmentwitheitheroxytocinorplacebogel
forsevendays.Beforeandaftertreatment,a
gynaecologicalexaminationandavisualandcolposcopic
inspectionofthevaginawereperformed,biopsiesfromthe
vaginalmucosaweretakenandbloodsampleswere
collectedforanalysisofcirculatinglevelsofestradioland
oxytocin.
OxytocinandvaginalAtrophy
§  Aftertreatmentwiththeoxytocingel,the
examinationshowedthatthevaginal
epitheliumofsevenofthe10participantsin
theoxytocingrouphadbecomehealthierand
normalized.Nochangeintheseparameters
wasobservedamongthe10participantsin
theplacebogroup.Thisdifferencebetween
theoxytocinandplacebogroupswas
significant(P=0.003).
Oxytocinandvaginalatrophy
§  Topicaloxytocinreversesvaginalatrophyin
postmenopausalwomen:adouble-blind
randomizedpilotstudyAinoFianuJonasson,
§  LenaEdwall,
§  andKerstinUvnäs-Moberg
§  MenopauseInt,December
2011;vol.17,4:pp.120-125.
Oxytocinlevels
§  Oxytocinlevelsinwomenareelevatedin
responsetorelaxationmassageand
decreasedwhenexperiencingunpleasant
emotionalreactions.
§  TurnerRAetal.1999Plasmaoxytocinin
normalwomenetc..
OxytocinafteranOrgasm
§  Oneminuteafteranorgasmoxytocinlevels
aresignificantlyhigher.Thishormoneplaysa
majorpartinthehumansexualresponse.
§  W.Blaicheretal.1999
Levelsofoxytocin
§  Womenwhoaremultiorgasmichavemuch
higherlevelsofoxytocin,andthelevelsof
oxytocincorrelatessignificantlywiththe
orgasmintensity.
§  M.S.Carmichaeletal.ArchivesofSexual
Behavior1994Feb;23(1):59-79
§  C.S.CarterOxytocinandSexualbehavior
1992
OxytocinaAphrodisiac
§  Oxytocinhasapotentialaphrodisiacor
prosexualeffectonwomen.
§  M.Anderson-Hunt,L.Dennerstein1995
§  Oxytocinandfemalesexuality.
OxytocinandbreastCancer
§  Oxytocinisprotectiveagainstbreastcancer.
Thisisconsistentwiththelowerriskofbreast
canceramongwomenwhohavehadchildren
andbreastfed,comparedtothosewhohave
not.
§  T.G.MurrellThepotentialforoxytocinto
preventbreastcancer:ahypothesis1995