Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Biol Psychol. 2012 Apr;90(1):1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.02.010. Epub 2012 Feb 23.
Animal research indicates that oxytocin is involved in social behavior, stress regulation, and positive physiologic adaptation. This study examines whether oxytocin enhances adaptive responses to social stress and compares effects between men and women.
Hypotheses were tested with a placebo-controlled, double-blind experiment. Social stress was induced. Changes in cardiovascular reactivity, affect, and behavior were assessed.
Participants given oxytocin, relative to placebo, responded to social stress with a challenge orientation characterized by a benign pattern of cardiovascular reactivity. Gender differences emerged. Men given oxytocin reported less negative affect and had greater vagal rebound, while women given oxytocin reported more anger and had better math performance following social stress.
Findings indicate oxytocin stimulates an approach-oriented cardiovascular profile during social stress, suggesting mechanisms by which oxytocin might improve physical health. However, before considering oxytocin as therapeutic or uniformly enhancing health, greater understanding of possible gender differences in effects is needed.
动物研究表明，催产素参与社会行为、应激调节和积极的生理适应。本研究旨在检验催产素是否能增强对社会压力的适应反应，并比较男女之间的效果。
采用安慰剂对照、双盲实验来检验假设。诱导社会压力，评估心血管反应、情绪和行为的变化。
与安慰剂组相比，接受催产素的参与者在社会压力下表现出挑战型的应对方式，其心血管反应呈良性模式。出现了性别差异。给予催产素的男性报告负面情绪较少，迷走神经反弹较大，而给予催产素的女性在社会压力后报告愤怒情绪较少，数学表现更好。
研究结果表明，催产素在社会压力下刺激一种趋近型的心血管特征，这表明了催产素改善身体健康的可能机制。然而，在考虑将催产素作为治疗方法或普遍增强健康之前，需要进一步了解其效果可能存在的性别差异。
