IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-59859-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Oxytocinergic input from the paraventricular nucleus to the nucleus accumbens core modulates methamphetamine-conditioned place preference

Author

Listed:
  • Ying-jie Cheng

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)

  • Gui-ying Zan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ying-zhi Deng

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)

  • Di Deng

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)

  • Man-qing Wu

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)

  • Jing-rui Chai

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yu-jun Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jing-gen Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province)

  • Min Zhao

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders)

Abstract

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive psychostimulant, yet its addiction mechanisms remain unclear. Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide, shows promise in reducing METH addiction, but how OXT exerts its effects is poorly understood. Using conditioned place preference (CPP), we first found that intranasal OXT other than Arginine Vasopressin (AVP) administration suppressed METH-CPP in mice, which could be reversed by OXT receptors (OXTRs) blockade in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. Activating OXTRs in the NAc core similarly reduced METH-CPP. Then, we found repeated METH exposure inhibited oxytocinergic neurons within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and lowered PVN OXT protein level. Chemogenetic activation of PVN oxytocinergic neurons (PVNOXT) blocked METH-CPP. Furthermore, METH inhibited PVNOXT-NAc core circuit other than PVNOXT-NAc shell circuit. Activation of PVNOXT-NAc core circuit significantly inhibited METH-CPP. This study reveals METH may impair the endogenous OXT system, especially the PVNOXT-NAc core circuit, highlighting OXT’s therapeutic potential for METH use disorder (MUD).

Suggested Citation

  • Ying-jie Cheng & Gui-ying Zan & Ying-zhi Deng & Di Deng & Man-qing Wu & Jing-rui Chai & Yu-jun Wang & Jing-gen Liu & Min Zhao, 2025. "Oxytocinergic input from the paraventricular nucleus to the nucleus accumbens core modulates methamphetamine-conditioned place preference," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59859-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59859-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59859-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-59859-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59859-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.