Nan Wu1, Zhi Li, Yanjie Su. 1. Department of Psychology, Peking University, No. 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, PR China. nanwu@pku.edu.cn
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Oxytocin exerts well accepted effects on one of the key social processes: empathy. Previous researches have demonstrated that oxytocin promotes emotional and cognitive aspects of empathy, by exogenous administration as well as on gene level. However, the effect of diverse gene locus haplotypes of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) on trait empathy lacks reliable evidence. METHODS: Participants consisted of 101 genetically unrelated, non-clinical Chinese subjects (46 males and 55 females). Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was applied to measure the trait empathy from four dimensions: empathy concern, personal distress, perspective taking and fantasy. Fantasy and perspective taking measured cognitive aspect of empathy, while empathy concern and personal distress measured emotional aspect of empathy. Ten single tagging SNPs on OXTR rs2268491, rs1042778, rs53576, rs7632287, rs2254298, rs13316193, rs237897, rs237887, rs4686302, and rs2268493 were tested. RESULTS: Genotype difference in emotional empathy was found on rs237887 and rs4686302 whereas cognitive empathy varied on SNPs rs2268491 and rs2254298 between homozygous and variant carriers. For IRI score, there is a genotype and gender interaction on rs4686302 and rs13316193. LIMITATION: The sample sizes from the current study were not so optimal that these results should have to be interpreted with caution when amplified into a larger population. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that natural variants of OXTR associated with trait empathy; specifically, individuals with certain OXTR genotype did perform better on trait empathy, while others did not. Our findings also provide genetic evidence for gender-related difference on empathy, indicating the popular fact that females who displayed more empathy than males could be likely to trace back to the genetic variants.
BACKGROUND: Oxytocin exerts well accepted effects on one of the key social processes: empathy. Previous researches have demonstrated that oxytocin promotes emotional and cognitive aspects of empathy, by exogenous administration as well as on gene level. However, the effect of diverse gene locus haplotypes of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) on trait empathy lacks reliable evidence. METHODS:Participants consisted of 101 genetically unrelated, non-clinical Chinese subjects (46 males and 55 females). Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was applied to measure the trait empathy from four dimensions: empathy concern, personal distress, perspective taking and fantasy. Fantasy and perspective taking measured cognitive aspect of empathy, while empathy concern and personal distress measured emotional aspect of empathy. Ten single tagging SNPs on OXTRrs2268491, rs1042778, rs53576, rs7632287, rs2254298, rs13316193, rs237897, rs237887, rs4686302, and rs2268493 were tested. RESULTS: Genotype difference in emotional empathy was found on rs237887 and rs4686302 whereas cognitive empathy varied on SNPs rs2268491 and rs2254298 between homozygous and variant carriers. For IRI score, there is a genotype and gender interaction on rs4686302 and rs13316193. LIMITATION: The sample sizes from the current study were not so optimal that these results should have to be interpreted with caution when amplified into a larger population. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that natural variants of OXTR associated with trait empathy; specifically, individuals with certain OXTR genotype did perform better on trait empathy, while others did not. Our findings also provide genetic evidence for gender-related difference on empathy, indicating the popular fact that females who displayed more empathy than males could be likely to trace back to the genetic variants.
Authors: Shun-Chiao Chang; M Maria Glymour; Marissa Rewak; Marilyn C Cornelis; Stefan Walter; Karestan C Koenen; Ichiro Kawachi; Liming Liang; Eric J Tchetgen Tchetgen; Laura D Kubzansky Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology Date: 2013-10-01 Impact factor: 4.905
Authors: H Harrington Cleveland; Amanda M Griffin; Pedro S A Wolf; Richard P Wiebe; Gabriel L Schlomer; Mark E Feinberg; Mark T Greenberg; Richard L Spoth; Cleve Redmond; David J Vandenbergh Journal: Prev Sci Date: 2018-01
Authors: D Hovey; M Lindstedt; A Zettergren; L Jonsson; A Johansson; J Melke; N Kerekes; H Anckarsäter; P Lichtenstein; S Lundström; L Westberg Journal: Mol Psychiatry Date: 2015-09-22 Impact factor: 15.992
Authors: Gianluca Esposito; Anna Truzzi; Peipei Setoh; Diane L Putnick; Kazuyuki Shinohara; Marc H Bornstein Journal: Behav Brain Res Date: 2016-06-22 Impact factor: 3.332
Authors: David H Skuse; Adriana Lori; Joseph F Cubells; Irene Lee; Karen N Conneely; Kaija Puura; Terho Lehtimäki; Elisabeth B Binder; Larry J Young Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2013-12-23 Impact factor: 11.205