Oxytocin Acetate

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What Is Oxytocin Acetate?

Oxytocin Acetate is the acetate-salt form of oxytocin, a 9-amino-acid cyclic neuropeptide first isolated by Sir Henry Dale in 1906 and chemically synthesised by Vincent du Vigneaud in 1953 — the first peptide hormone ever produced by total synthesis, work that earned du Vigneaud the 1955 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The acetate counterion is used in research-grade lyophilization because it improves long-term peptide stability and water solubility relative to free-base oxytocin without altering pharmacology — the acetate dissociates rapidly in physiological solution.

The well-characterised sequence is CYIQNCPLG-NH₂ with an intramolecular disulfide bridge between Cys1 and Cys6 that creates a 6-residue macrocyclic ring and a 3-residue C-terminal tail. Molecular weight is 1007.19 Da (free base); empirical formula C₄₃H₆₆N₁₂O₁₂S₂. Oxytocin is supplied as a high-purity lyophilized powder for reconstitution with bacteriostatic water. Pharmaceutical oxytocin is FDA-approved as an injectable obstetric medication (Pitocin, Syntocinon) for labour induction and postpartum haemorrhage control; the research-grade oxytocin acetate sold here is supplied laboratóriumi kutatási célra szolgál and is not FDA-approved for human or veterinary administration. For related small-peptide CNS research, see our Selank és PT-141 product pages.

Mechanism of Action — Peripheral Endocrine and Central Neuromodulator Roles

What makes oxytocin unusual among research peptides is its dual identity as both a peripheral endocrine hormone and a central neuromodulator. The same molecule, released from different anatomical compartments, produces fundamentally different physiological effects:

• Peripheral endocrine release — uterine and mammary effects — Oxytocin is synthesised in magnocellular neurons of the supraoptic and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei and released into systemic circulation from the posterior pituitary. Peripheral oxytocin binds OXTR receptors on uterine smooth muscle (stimulating contractions during labour) and on myoepithelial cells of the mammary alveoli (driving the milk-ejection reflex). The peripheral half-life is short (~3–5 minutes IV) due to rapid metabolism by oxytocinase and other peptidases.
• Central release — social, affiliative, and stress-buffering behaviour — A separate population of parvocellular oxytocin neurons projects axonally into brain regions including the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, and prefrontal cortex. Central oxytocin release does not enter systemic circulation and is not measured by plasma assays. In published research it modulates pair-bonding, in-group affiliation, trust, fear extinction, and stress reactivity. The prairie-vole pair-bonding literature is the canonical mechanistic dataset for central oxytocin signalling.
• Receptor pharmacology and signal transduction — Oxytocin acts on a single G-protein-coupled receptor (OXTR), which couples primarily to Gα_q/11 to activate phospholipase C, IP₃, and intracellular calcium release in smooth muscle. In the CNS, OXTR signalling is more complex and includes Gα_i/o coupling, modulation of GABAergic interneurons, and crosstalk with the closely-related vasopressin V1a receptor. Selective OXTR agonists and antagonists are heavily used in current research to dissect oxytocin vs vasopressin contributions to behaviour.

The intranasal administration route is one of the most-cited research delivery methods because it produces measurable CNS effects on social behaviour without raising peripheral plasma oxytocin to physiologically meaningful levels. The exact mechanism by which intranasal oxytocin reaches CNS compartments — whether through olfactory and trigeminal nerve transport, cribriform plate diffusion, or a peripheral feedback signal — remains an active research question. The behavioural effects are reproducible enough that intranasal administration has become the standard route in human and rodent oxytocin behavioural research.

Published Research Applications

Oxytocin Acetate is used in laboratory research contexts that investigate:

• Social behaviour and pair-bonding — prairie vole partner-preference tests, partner-preference formation in monogamous vs polygamous voles, social-recognition paradigms in rodents (Insel & Hulihan, Behav Neurosci 1995; Young & Wang, Nat Neurosci 2004)
• Autism spectrum and social-cognition research — preclinical models of social-deficit phenotypes, OXTR variant cohort studies, intranasal oxytocin behavioural endpoints; one of the most active areas of contemporary oxytocin clinical research
• Trust and cooperation behavioural research — trust-game economic paradigms, cooperative decision-making under uncertainty; in-group vs out-group bias modulation
• Stress, anxiety, and fear extinction — amygdala-dependent fear conditioning, stress-induced HPA-axis activation, cortisol response modulation in published research
• Maternal behaviour and parental care — postpartum maternal-behaviour induction in rodents, paternal-care research in monogamous vole species, alloparental behaviour
• Reproductive physiology research — uterine contractility assays, mammary myoepithelial-cell research, labour and parturition mechanism studies
• Wound healing and tissue regeneration — OXTR expression on dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes; emerging research on local oxytocin signalling in cutaneous wound repair
• Comparative neuropeptide research — benchmarking against vasopressin (closely related 9-aa cyclic neuropeptide with one amino-acid difference) and against other small CNS-active peptides such as Selank.

For broader context on where oxytocin fits within the small-peptide neuromodulator landscape, see Selank (anxiolytic heptapeptide), PT-141 (CNS-active melanocortin agonist), and Semax (nootropic heptapeptide). Browse the full kutatási peptidek katalógust kapcsolódó vegyületekért.

Elérhető erősségek és koncentrációk

MedsBase stocks Oxytocin Acetate in two lyophilized vial sizes calibrated to typical research protocol lengths. Each strength is available in 10-vial or 20-vial pack formats with full reconstitution guidance:

Both strengths are the same chemical form (lyophilized acetate-salt powder, 99%+ HPLC purity). Because oxytocin’s research dose range is in the low-microgram-per-administration regime, a single 5 mg vial supports many weeks of behavioural research at typical intranasal doses (24 IU ≈ 40 mcg per administration in human research, with rodent doses scaled lower).

How It Compares — Oxytocin Acetate vs Selank

Oxytocin and Selank are both small CNS-active peptides used in behavioural and mood-axis research, but they target different receptors and behavioural domains. They are sometimes compared in research because both are intranasally bioavailable and both produce measurable behavioural effects in published rodent and human studies despite being structurally and pharmacologically unrelated.

For behavioural-research stacking, the two peptides have non-overlapping mechanisms (oxytocin acts on its own GPCR; Selank acts via GABA/BDNF modulation), so co-administration is not pharmacologically redundant. Research protocols studying stress and social behaviour as joint endpoints sometimes use both arms.

Tárolás és rekonstitúció

Rekonstitúció előtt: store lyophilized vials refrigerated at 2–8 °C in original packaging for short-term working stock. For unopened long-term storage, freeze at −20 °C. Lyophilized oxytocin acetate is stable under refrigeration for up to 24 months and at −20 °C for up to 36 months. Avoid freeze-thaw cycles on the lyophilized powder. The acetate-salt form is more hygroscopically stable than the free base, but vials should still be protected from atmospheric humidity.

Rekonstitúciós eljárás: inject bacteriostatic water down the side wall of the peptide vial (not directly onto the lyophilized cake). For a 5 mg vial, 5.0 mL of bacteriostatic water yields a 1 mg/mL working concentration; 0.04 mL delivers a 40 mcg research dose (~24 IU). Swirl gently — do nem shake — and allow 2–5 minutes for full dissolution. A correctly reconstituted solution should be clear and colourless. For intranasal-vehicle research formulations, the reconstituted solution can be transferred to a calibrated nasal-spray bottle delivering ~100 μL per pump.

Rekonstitúció után: store refrigerated at 2–8 °C and use within 30 days for optimal stability. Do not freeze the reconstituted solution — freeze-thaw cycles degrade peptide integrity and disrupt the Cys1–Cys6 disulfide bond. Discard any vial showing cloudiness, precipitate, or discolouration.

Gyakran Ismételt Kérdések

What is Oxytocin Acetate used for in research?

Oxytocin Acetate is used in laboratory research investigating social behaviour and pair-bonding, autism spectrum and social cognition, trust and cooperation paradigms, stress and fear extinction, maternal and parental care, reproductive physiology, and wound healing. It is one of the most extensively studied neuropeptides in the published literature and serves as the canonical OXTR-axis research compound. The research-grade oxytocin acetate sold here is nem FDA-approved for non-clinical human use and is supplied strictly for laboratory research.

What is the difference between oxytocin acetate and free-base oxytocin?

The acetate counterion does not alter pharmacology — it dissociates rapidly in physiological solution. The acetate salt is used in research-grade peptide lyophilization because it improves long-term peptide stability, reduces hygroscopicity, and improves aqueous solubility relative to free-base oxytocin. All published behavioural and endocrine effects of oxytocin apply to the acetate salt at equivalent oxytocin content.

How is Oxytocin different from Selank?

Both are small CNS-active peptides used in behavioural research, but they target different receptors and behavioural domains. Oxytocin is a 9-amino-acid disulfide-bridged macrocyclic peptide that binds the OXTR G-protein-coupled receptor, with primary research signal in social bonding and trust paradigms. Selank is a 7-amino-acid linear heptapeptide that acts via GABA modulation and BDNF expression, with primary research signal in anxiolysis and stress resilience. The two are pharmacologically unrelated.

What is the typical Oxytocin research dose?

Published human intranasal research protocols typically use 24–40 IU per administration (1 IU ≈ 1.7 mcg, so 24 IU ≈ 40 mcg). Rodent doses are scaled lower in absolute mass but higher in mg/kg. A 5 mg vial reconstituted with 5.0 mL bacteriostatic water yields 1 mg/mL — 40 mcg per 0.04 mL.

Is Oxytocin Acetate FDA approved?

Pharmaceutical injectable oxytocin (Pitocin, Syntocinon) is FDA-approved for specific obstetric indications — labour induction, postpartum haemorrhage control, and milk-letdown facilitation — manufactured to GMP standards by approved pharmaceutical manufacturers. The research-grade oxytocin acetate sold here is a separate product supplied for laboratory research only and is nem FDA-approved for human or veterinary use outside those obstetric indications.

How should Oxytocin Acetate be stored?

Lyophilized vials: refrigerated at 2–8 °C for short-term working stock, or −20 °C for long-term storage of unopened vials. Reconstituted solution: refrigerated at 2–8 °C, use within 30 days. Do not freeze reconstituted solution — freeze-thaw cycles degrade the peptide and can disrupt the disulfide bridge. Protect from direct light at all times.

How do I reconstitute Oxytocin Acetate?

Follow the reconstitution procedure above. Add bacteriostatic water down the side wall of the vial (not onto the lyophilized cake), swirl gently, and allow 2–5 minutes for full dissolution. Do nem shake the vial — vigorous agitation can disrupt the disulfide bond. A correctly reconstituted solution is clear and colourless. For a 5 mg vial + 5.0 mL diluent, the working concentration is 1 mg/mL.

Milyen erősségű készítményeket tart készleten a MedsBase?

MedsBase carries Oxytocin Acetate in 5 mg and 10 mg lyophilized vials. Each strength is available in 10-vial or 20-vial pack sizes. All vials are supplied at 99%+ HPLC purity with a certificate of analysis available on request.

Can Oxytocin be administered intranasally in research?

Yes — intranasal administration is one of the most-cited research delivery routes for oxytocin behavioural studies. Intranasal oxytocin produces measurable CNS effects on social behaviour, trust, and stress reactivity without raising peripheral plasma oxytocin to physiologically meaningful levels. The exact mechanism of CNS access remains an active research question (olfactory and trigeminal nerve transport, cribriform plate diffusion, or peripheral feedback). Subcutaneous and intracerebroventricular routes are also documented in rodent research.

What is the half-life of Oxytocin?

In published research, oxytocin has a plasma half-life of approximately 3–5 minutes following intravenous administration. The short peripheral half-life is due to rapid metabolism by oxytocinase (also called cystinyl aminopeptidase) and other peptidases. Behavioural effects following intranasal administration outlast plasma clearance because central oxytocin compartments are distinct from peripheral circulation.

Why is the disulfide bridge important?

The Cys1–Cys6 disulfide bond locks oxytocin into the cyclic conformation required for receptor binding. Reduction of the disulfide bond converts oxytocin into an inactive linear form — this is why reconstitution procedures specifically avoid vigorous shaking and freeze-thaw cycles, which can disrupt the bridge and degrade peptide activity. The closely-related neuropeptide vasopressin has the same disulfide-bridge architecture with only one amino-acid difference at position 3 (Phe in vasopressin vs Ile in oxytocin).

Does Oxytocin cause side effects in research?

The most consistent finding in oxytocin research is dose-dependence of behavioural effects — the response is not monotonic at high doses, and very large doses can produce paradoxical effects. Acute peripheral effects can include uterine contraction (relevant in pregnancy research models) and modest vasoactive effects at supraphysiological doses. Long-term behavioural research has reported context-dependent effects — e.g., increased in-group affiliation can be accompanied by increased out-group bias in some social-cognition paradigms.

How long does Oxytocin take to show effects in preclinical research?

Acute behavioural effects on social-recognition, partner-preference, and trust-game paradigms are detectable within 30–60 minutes of intranasal administration in human and rodent research. Peripheral effects (uterine contraction, milk-ejection) occur within seconds of intravenous administration due to direct OXTR coupling to PLC/IP₃/Ca²⁺ signalling.

Can I order Oxytocin Acetate for international shipping?

Yes. MedsBase ships Oxytocin Acetate worldwide from our dedicated peptide shipping network. Peptide-only orders qualify for our standalone peptide shipping service. All orders ship in temperature-controlled packaging with full tracking and are covered by our Újraküldési Garancia.

Other Peptides for CNS, Behavioural, and Affective Research

• Selank — Anxiolytic heptapeptide tuftsin analog — GABA/BDNF stress-resilience research
• Semax — Russian-developed nootropic heptapeptide — melanocortin and dopaminergic modulation
• PT-141 (Bremelanotide) — Melanocortin receptor agonist — CNS-active small peptide for sexual-behaviour research
• Epitalon — AEDG pineal tetrapeptide — longevity and circadian research
• BPC-157 — Body Protection Compound — tissue-recovery research

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