Tag: Oxytocin

Oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus and is secreted into the bloodstream by the posterior pituitary gland. Secretion depends on electrical activity of neurons in the hypothalamus – it is released into the blood when these cells are excited.

The two main actions of oxytocin in the body are contraction of the womb (uterus) during childbirth and lactation. Oxytocin stimulates the uterine muscles to contract and also increases production of prostaglandins, which increase the contractions further. Manufactured oxytocin is sometimes given to induce labour if it has not started naturally or it can be used to strengthen contractions to aid childbirth. In addition, manufactured oxytocin is often given to speed up delivery of the placenta and reduce the risk of heavy bleeding by contracting the uterus. During breastfeeding, oxytocin promotes the movement of milk into the breast, allowing it to be excreted by the nipple. Oxytocin is also present in men, playing a role in sperm movement and production of testosterone by the testes.

More recently, oxytocin has been suggested to be an important player in social behaviour.

In the brain, oxytocin acts as a chemical messenger and has been shown to be important in human behaviours including sexual arousal, recognition, trust, anxiety and mother–infant bonding. As a result, oxytocin has been called the ‘love hormone’ or ‘cuddle chemical’.

Many research projects are undertaken, looking at the role of oxytocin in addiction, brain injury, anorexia and stress, among other topics.

05Sep 2020 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Flower power and the happy hormones

Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer

One of the featured pictures below is a sunflower from 2015, something I planted with my own hands, and it grew taller than me (not difficult), even taller than my garden fence (more difficult). Of course, I have to mention my wife Chris because she does infinitely more gardening than I do, and she would have nurtured the sunflower from start to finish after I planted it. Nonetheless, I still felt a remarkably close association with the outcome! It made me happy just to look at it! My most liked Facebook posts in 2020 (the year of COVID) related to plant and forest pictures and there is a reason flowers proved to be more popular than my other posts. Flowers, particularly with vibrant colour, stimulate our happiness hormones, including serotonin. I…

November is always busier as I help spread awareness for 10th Nov (remembering that every day is 10th Nov on my site!). I also managed to push out quite a few blogs, some ‘remasters’ from 2014 but with their originality from that time. Others include the ENETS Guideline series, a work in progress. I’m thankful […]

European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) 2023 guidance paper for Digestive Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

This ENETS guidance paper, developed by a multidisciplinary working group, provides up-to-date and practical advice on the diagnosis and management of digestive neuroendocrine carcinoma, based on recent developments and study results. These recommendations aim to pave the road for more standardized care for our patients resulting in improved outcomes. However, it’s true to say that […]

Neuroendocrine Cancer – Clinical Esoterica

One of the key awareness messages for Neuroendocrine Cancer is the hormonal syndromes that can often accompany the diagnosis for many people. As it’s a difficult disease to diagnose, many people struggle with these syndromes for some time before formal diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Cancer. Some continue to struggle after. Neuroendocrine Cancer can often be uncannily […]

Neuroendocrine Cancer – The F Words

When I first created my blog in April 2014, I had to find some material to lead up to my 84 mile walk (at the time, it was a temporary vehicle for the single purpose of raising money for charity). An idea I had probably led to the longer term survival of this blog after […]

Laughter is the best medicine

Laughter is important. This is a remastered version of one of my early blog posts. It centred on a ‘get-well’ card I received recuperating in hospital after my first major surgery. The person who sent it knew I had a sense of humour, and it did make me smile. My surgeon’s secretary came to visit […]