Since the arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AvpR1a) and the structurally related oxytocin receptor (OxtR) are both closely related to stress-responsiveness, anxiety and depression, mRNA expression of these genes were assessed in the hippocampus of adult male and female offspring.
Associations among oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) DNA methylation in adulthood, exposure to early life adversity, and childhood trajectories of anxiousness.
Our study indicates that variations in OXTR and Gβ3 genes are specifically associated with presence and severity of SA in childhood and adulthood, but not with depression or anxiety in general.
The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) is a key regulator of stress and anxiety and may be regulated by both psychosocial risk factors and gonadal hormones, making it an attractive candidate for study in postpartum depression (PPD).
Participants (N = 388; 219 females, 169 males; age 24.7 ± 4.7 years) were assessed for anxiety in social situations (Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory) depending on attachment style (Adult Attachment Scale, AAS) and OXTRrs53576 A/G genotype.
Variation in the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with increased risk for anxiety, stress and depression in individuals with a history of exposure to early life stress.
More specifically, in a sample of 92 Caucasian adolescent girls (9-14 years old), we examined whether adverse parental environment, operationalized as mothers' history of recurrent major depressive disorder, interacts with the rs2254298 SNP on the OXTR gene to predict daughters' symptoms of depression and anxiety.