Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1G1, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2020 Aug 20;10(1):12926. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-69520-y.
Given the significance of close relationships for human survival, it is thought that biological mechanisms evolved to support their initiation and maintenance. The neuropeptide oxytocin is one such candidate identified in non-human animal research. We investigated whether variation in CD38, a gene involved in oxytocin secretion and attachment behavior in rodents, predicts romantic relationship dynamics in daily life. Community couples participated in an event-contingent recording (ECR) study in which they reported their social behavior, perception of their partner's behavior, and affect during their interactions with one another over a 20-day period; couples also completed various measures of relationship adjustment. Out of the 111 couples (N = 222 individuals) who provided either ECR and/or relationship adjustment information, we had information on CD38 for 118 individuals. As hypothesized, variation in rs3796863, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identified in prior work, predicted communal behaviors (e.g., the expression of affection), as well as overall relationship adjustment, such that individuals with the CC (vs. AC/AA) allele reported higher levels of communal behavior across their daily interactions with their romantic partner, as well as higher levels of relationship adjustment. Individuals with the CC (vs. AC/AA) allele of rs3796863 also reported less negative affect and felt insecurity in their interactions with their romantic partner. Notably, we found that variation in the romantic partner's rs3796863 SNP was related to the person's outcomes, independent of the person's rs3796863 genotype. These findings support the role of oxytocin in the interpersonal processes implicated in the maintenance of close relationships.
鉴于亲密关系对人类生存的重要性，人们认为生物机制进化到可以支持它们的启动和维持。神经肽催产素就是在非人类动物研究中发现的这样一种候选物质。我们研究了 CD38 的变异是否可以预测亲密关系中的动态变化，CD38 是一种与啮齿动物催产素分泌和依附行为有关的基因。社区夫妇参与了一项基于事件的记录（ECR）研究，在 20 天的时间里，他们报告了自己的社交行为、对伴侣行为的感知以及彼此互动时的情绪；夫妇还完成了各种关系调整的测量。在 111 对（N=222 人）提供 ECR 和/或关系调整信息的夫妇中，我们有 118 人提供了 CD38 信息。正如假设的那样，rs3796863 的变异，这是之前工作中发现的一种单核苷酸多态性（SNP），预测了共有行为（例如表达爱意）以及整体关系调整，即与 CC（而非 AC/AA）等位基因的个体在与伴侣的日常互动中表现出更高水平的共有行为，以及更高水平的关系调整。rs3796863 的 CC（而非 AC/AA）等位基因的个体在与伴侣的互动中报告的负面情绪和不安全感较少。值得注意的是，我们发现，rs3796863 变异与伴侣的关系与个体的 rs3796863 基因型无关，与个体的结果有关。这些发现支持了催产素在维持亲密关系的人际过程中的作用。
