A research group at Kanazawa University discovered a mechanism by which oxytocin is absorbed in the small intestine, and found that its supplementation may help the development of premature infants' sociality (social brain).

 Oxytocin is considered to be a peptide hormone necessary for humans to guess and interact with the hearts of others, and is considered to be indispensable for the development of the social brain that controls it.Oxytocin synthesized in the brain is secreted into the brain and released into the blood.
It has been known that breast milk also contains oxytocin concentrated from blood together with many nutrients, and that oxytocin is transmitted to infants by drinking breast milk.However, it is thought that oxytocin cannot be freely transferred from the intestinal tract because the intestinal barrier is formed in the intestinal tract shortly after birth, and how oxytocin is incorporated into body fluids in the presence of the intestinal barrier. Until now it was completely unknown.

 This research group revealed that a molecule called Receptor for Advanced Glycation Products (RAGE) is located in the villous epithelial cells of the small intestine, and it is responsible for transporting oxytocin from the intestinal side to the inside of the body, and oxytocin is absorbed. bottom.This is a result of the fact that RAGE transports oxytocin, which means that oxytocin can be orally administered as a drug or nutrient.It can also be said that the addition of oxytocin to infant formula may reduce the social decline and the onset of autism spectrum disorders in the development of premature babies.

Paper information:[Scientific Reports] Intestinal transepithelial permeability of oxytocin into the blood is dependent on the receptor for advanced glycation end products in mice

Kanazawa University

Flexible and flexible learning of specialized knowledge in a wide range of fields.Fostering human resources who will lead the global society

Kanazawa University, which boasts a history and tradition of more than 150 years, has a basic philosophy of "a research university that emphasizes education that is open to the region and the world," and is rich in humanity with specialized knowledge, problem-seeking ability, international sense, and ethical standards. By fostering talented human resources, we aim to become a "Kanazawa University that lives globally" and a "knowledge base in East Asia" [...]

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