Relationship between Oxytocin and Osteoarthritis: Hope or Despair?

Oxytocin (OT) is involved in breastfeeding and childbirth and appears to play a role in regulating the bone matrix. OT is synthesized in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus and is released in response to numerous stimuli. It also appears to be produced by osteoblasts in the bone marrow, acting as a paracrine–autocrine regulator of bone formation. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of the whole joint. Different tissues involved in OA express OT receptors (OTRs), such as chondrocytes and osteoblasts. This hormone, which levels are reduced in patients with OA, appears to have a stimulatory effect on chondrogenesis. OT involvement in bone biology could occur at both the osteoblast and chondrocyte levels. The relationships between metabolic syndrome, body weight, and OA are well documented, and the possible effects of OT on different parameters of metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes and body weight, are important. In addition, the effects of OT on adipokines and inflammation are also discussed, especially since recent data have shown that low-grade inflammation is also associated with OA. Furthermore, OT also appears to mediate endogenous analgesia in animal and human studies. These observations provide support for the possible interest of OT in OA and its potential therapeutic treatment.