Affection hormone 'Oxytocin' transforms social communication into pleasure and adds addiction like marijuana

ByEdson Hong

It has an effect of decreasing fear and is also called "affection hormone"Oxytocin"Is secreted by taking a skin ship with others, but the latest research has found that oxytocin has the effect of turning interpersonal communication into pleasure and having the same addiction as marijuana .

Oxytocin makes socializing feel fun, just like marijuana | Ars Technica
http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/11/oxytocin-makes-socializing-feel-fun-just-like-marijuana/


Chemical substances contained in marijuana "Cannabinoid"Social interactionThere is an effect to increase. Cannabinoid has the effect of suppressing the activity of the amygdala when absorbed into the body from the receptors in the amygdala of the brain and the amygdala is the part responsible for the emotion,Marijuana is used for treatment to alleviate symptoms of trauma.

For cannabinoids that are components of marijuana, substances that are made in the body of an organism and bind to cannabinoid receptors are called "endocannabinoids". Endocannabinoid activates the cannabinoid receptor,Social rewardIt is known to affect feelings such as worry and anxiety. It is known that social reward increases pleasure when affected by affection hormone "Oxytocin" which is secreted in the body when touching and taking a skin ship.

When oxytocin is secreted, various emotions are boiled up and there is an effect of strongly linking bonds with the partner, "Oxytocin not only increases the effect of social rewards but also creates social rewards themselves In order to ascertain whether it is possible or not ", studies using a mouse were conducted. In the experiment, prepare two kinds of baskets, one breeding only one mouse and one basking multiple birds, keeping the mouse for a while, then quickly freezing the brain. We measured how oxytocin works in which part of the brain.

ByJean-Etienne Minh-Duy Poirrier

As a result of examining the brain of the mouse, mice who lived with their colleagues and performed social activities are a type of endocannabinoidAnandamideThere is "Nucleus accumbens"It turned out that it was increasing in the part of saying. The nucleus accumbens is a kind of nervous system of the brain, which gives us pleasure when desire is satisfiedReward systemIt is an important part related to.

It was also found that oxytocin secreted in the body increased anandamide of nucleus accumbens. In other words, by performing social activities anandamide and oxytocin are induced, and oxytocin induces anandamide, anandamide binds to the cannabinoid receptor inside the nucleus accumbens to obtain pleasure.

Mice that overexpress anandamide in the body due to social activities cause gene mutation to occur and enzymes that reduce cannabinoids are deficient from the body. As a result, mice like to prefer social activities, they seem to be like addicts dependent on illegal drugs. The research team is conducting research to increase cannabinoids in the body by suppressing this enzyme for patients with social anxiety disorder with a small amount of endocannabinoid in the body. Registration of medicines for drugs that actually inhibit enzymes has also been carried out, and expectations are put on putting practical use of therapeutic drugs.