[Oxytocin: metabolic effects and potential use for obesity treatment].

Oxytocin is a hormone known for a long time, mainly used in the field of gynecology. Apart from these well-defined effects, the role of oxytocin in controlling the stress response or behavior and the regulation of glucose/lipid metabolism seems to be very interesting, especially in obese patients. Several clinical studies are currently underway to assess the impact of oxytocin in the treatment of obesity. Taking these new data into consideration, the use of this hormone for weight loss in obese patients or as a complementary treatment in diabetic patients seems to be promising.