Abstract
Oxytocin (OT), a hormone most commonly associated with labor and lactation, may have a wide variety of physiological and pathological functions, which makes OT and its receptor potential targets for drug therapy. In this review, we highlight the newly discovered metabolic role of OT in diabetes and its complication, such as diabetic osteopathy. OT may have positive metabolic effects; this is based on the change in glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity. It may modify glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity both through direct and indirect effects. It may also cause regenerative changes in diabetic pancreatic islet cells. Moreover, it has an anabolic effect on the bone biology. So, the activation of the OT receptor pathway by infusion of OT, OT analogs, or OT agonists may represent a promising approach for the treatment of diabetes and some of its complications, including diabetic osteopathy.
Highlights
The story of oxytocin (OT) begins right before labor, continues during birth, and later during the early period of lactation
Several lines of evidence have largely demonstrated that OT has many positive metabolic effects; this is based on a remarkable change in glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity after OT administration [7,8,9,10]
The multiple signaling pathways are activated by Oxytocin receptor (OTR), which may act synergistically like contraction of myometrial cells that induced by OTR coupling to Gαq-11 and to the small G proteins of the Rho pathway [36]
Summary
The story of oxytocin (OT) begins right before labor, continues during birth, and later during the early period of lactation. Its incidence is expected to increase dramatically over the coming decades [5] It is characterized by a chain of complications that affect many organs. Several lines of evidence have largely demonstrated that OT has many positive metabolic effects; this is based on a remarkable change in glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity after OT administration [7,8,9,10]. It has an anabolic effect on bone metabolism [11,12,13]
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