Maternal oxytocin administration mitigates nociceptive, social, and epigenetic impairments in adolescent offspring exposed to perinatal trauma.

ABSTRACT: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) alter brain development, leading to vulnerability for chronic pain, mental health disorders, and suicidality. These effects often emerge during adolescence. Importantly, ACEs can occur prenatally, including when exposed to in utero intimate partner violence (IPV) or postnatally as maternal neglect. Maternal social support has demonstrated promise in the mitigation of ACE-related deficits. Oxytocin, which has a role in social-bonding and stress regulation, serves as a suitable surrogate for social support in preclinical studies. Therefore, we aimed to explore the effects of oxytocin on alleviating social deficits, nociception, and epigenetic changes resulting from models that aimed to mimic the stress normally induced following exposure to two ACEs: IPV

SUBMITTER: Harris S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12418415 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature