Oxytocin regulates adipose tissue lipolysis

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Oxytocin is a hormone that is involved in labour, lactation and social bonding, but has also been shown to induce weight loss in rodents when given exogenously. A study in Nature has now uncovered a role for a novel source of endogenous oxytocin that promotes lipolysis.

The researchers hypothesized that oxytocin could be aiding catecholamines (produced by sympathetic neurons) in activating lipolysis, as OxtrΔAd mice had reduced levels of phosphorylated HSL and PLIN1 (key proteins in catecholamine-induced lipolysis), compared with wild-type mice. OxtrΔAd mice had significantly reduced lipolysis after treatment with isoportenerol, a β-adrenergic agonist, compared with wild-type mice, which demonstrates that oxytocin is required for maximal lipolysis.