Mood, libido and connection main

For research use only.

Oxytocin

Pituitary nonapeptide · 9 amino acids
What it is

Oxytocin is a nine-amino-acid peptide hormone your body already makes in the pituitary; a synthetic form is used as a medicine to start or strengthen labor and to control bleeding after birth.[1][2]

Origin: Identified as a pituitary peptide hormone; synthetic oxytocin is FDA approved as Pitocin for obstetric uses, and separate research studies test other routes such as nasal sprays for social and behavioral questions.[1][2][3]

What researchers study it for

Research areas

FDA-approved obstetric use and separate research programs point to several angles.

  • Starting or improving labor contractions when medically indicated, a labeled Pitocin use[1]
  • Controlling postpartum bleeding, a labeled Pitocin use[1]
  • Social cognition and related behavioral outcomes with intranasal oxytocin in clinical research and meta-analyses[3][4]
  • Other exploratory research uses outside obstetrics[3]

Evidence level

Level 4 of 4: Large human trialsSynthetic oxytocin is FDA approved as Pitocin for labeled obstetric uses, with a long clinical history of inducing and supporting labor and controlling postpartum bleeding.[1]

Why so few human trials?

Cautions

Studies and regulators point to several reasons for care.

  • Pitocin’s label warns that elective induction of labor (no medical indication) is not an indicated use, because benefits and risks are not adequately established for that setting[1]
  • Label-listed maternal risks include uterine hypertonicity or rupture with excess effect, water intoxication with seizures, and other serious events; fetal and newborn risks related to induced uterine activity are also listed[1]
  • Intranasal oxytocin research for social or neurodevelopmental aims shows mixed results across meta-analyses and is not the same as Pitocin’s labeled obstetric uses[3][4]
  • Research materials are not the approved Pitocin medicine[1]

Oxytocin is FDA approved as Pitocin for initiation or improvement of labor when medically indicated and for control of postpartum bleeding, for the uses on its label.[1]

Also called

Oxytocin goes by several names.

  • Pitocin, an FDA-approved brand name for synthetic oxytocin injection[1]
  • Synthetic oxytocin[1]
  • A nine-amino-acid (nonapeptide) pituitary hormone[1]

Good to know

The approved Pitocin product is a finished sterile solution for hospital obstetric use; a research vial is not the same as that brand-name product.[1]

Handling

Storage basics General

These general basics apply to most freeze-dried research peptides.

Most research peptides come as a freeze-dried powder in a sealed vial
Unmixed vials are generally kept cold, dry, and away from light
Mixed solutions are generally refrigerated, since they are less stable than the dry powder
Peptides 101For mixing basicsNPL Dose CalculatorTo work out concentration after mixing
Go deeper

Sources and studies

These studies and official pages are the research behind this profile.