Plasma levels of oxytocin after food deprivation and hypoglycaemia, and effects of 1-deamino-2-D-Tyr-(OEt)-4-Thr-8-Orn-oxytocin on blood glucose in rats.

Oxytocin has been shown to influence insulin, glucagon and blood glucose levels in various experimental situations. The present study was performed in order to obtain support for a possible interaction of glucose and oxytocin under physiological conditions. We therefore studied whether or not short-term food deprivation (24 hours) affects basal oxytocin levels in male, female and lactating rats, since this is a situation when glucose is mobilized to prevent hypoglycaemia. Secondly, we studied whether oxytocin levels rise in a situation when blood glucose levels fall, i.e. following i.p. injection of insulin (20 U kg-1). In order to explore the role of oxytocin more directly, we investigated whether i.p. injection of the oxytocin antagonist 1-deamino-2-D-Tyr-(OEt)-4-Thr-8-Orn-oxytocin affects blood glucose levels. Plasma levels of oxytocin, insulin and glucagon were measured with radioimmunoassay in samples obtained after decapitation. We found that oxytocin levels were significantly increased following short-term food deprivation in lactating rats. We also found that insulin-induced hypoglycaemia could elevate plasma levels of oxytocin in female and male rats. In addition, administration of an oxytocin antagonist cause a small, but significant decrease in blood glucose levels after 30 min. These data imply that oxytocin may be one of several factors that take part in the control of blood glucose regulation.