From the Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Psychosom Med. 2014 Jul-Aug;76(6):422-9. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000068.
This study examined the effect of synthetic oxytocin delivered intranasally on acute pain sensitivity using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, within-participant crossover design.
Thirty-seven (18 were male) pain-free young adults underwent two laboratory sessions separated by 1 week. Each session consisted of baseline, administration, second baseline, pain, and recovery phases, completed in a fixed order. Participants were given an intransal administration of 40 IU oxytocin or placebo. Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were measured at 1-minute intervals throughout each phase. Pain was induced by submersing the nondominant hand in cold (2°C) water. Pain threshold, intensity, unpleasantness, and Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 pain descriptors were rated immediately after pain testing. Mood was assessed using visual analog scales after baseline, second baseline, and pain phases. The second laboratory session was identical to the first, with the exception that a different nasal spray was administered.
Participants reported lower pain intensity (50.57 [20.94] versus 56.73 [20.12], p = .047), pain unpleasantness (47.00 [27.24] versus 55.78 [22.46], p = .033), and Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 pain descriptors (53.38 [31.18] versus 60.92 [31.17], p = .031) and higher pain threshold (45.70 [59.55] versus 38.35 [59.12], p = .040) after oxytocin administration relative to placebo. There was a nasal spray by phase interaction on HR (p = .006). Pain-related increase in HR was attenuated by oxytocin nasal spray. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased during pain testing but were unaffected by nasal spray.
These results suggest that oxytocin can lead to decreased acute pain sensitivity.
本研究采用安慰剂对照、双盲、自身交叉设计，考察了经鼻给予合成催产素对急性疼痛敏感性的影响。
37 名（18 名男性）无痛的年轻成年人在 1 周内接受了两次实验室测试。每个测试均包括基线、给药、第二基线、疼痛和恢复阶段，以固定顺序完成。参与者接受了 40IU 催产素或安慰剂的经鼻给药。在每个阶段的 1 分钟间隔内测量血压和心率（HR）。通过将非优势手浸入冷（2°C）水中来诱发疼痛。疼痛阈值、强度、不适和简短 McGill 疼痛问卷-2 疼痛描述符在疼痛测试后立即进行评估。在基线、第二基线和疼痛阶段后使用视觉模拟量表评估情绪。第二次实验室测试与第一次相同，只是使用了不同的鼻喷雾剂。
与安慰剂相比，参与者报告的疼痛强度（50.57 [20.94] 与 56.73 [20.12]，p =.047）、疼痛不适（47.00 [27.24] 与 55.78 [22.46]，p =.033）和简短 McGill 疼痛问卷-2 疼痛描述符（53.38 [31.18] 与 60.92 [31.17]，p =.031）较低，疼痛阈值（45.70 [59.55] 与 38.35 [59.12]，p =.040）较高。在 HR 上存在鼻喷雾与阶段的交互作用（p =.006）。催产素鼻喷雾剂减轻了疼痛相关的 HR 增加。在疼痛测试过程中，收缩压和舒张压升高，但不受鼻喷雾影响。
这些结果表明，催产素可导致急性疼痛敏感性降低。
