They use the hormone of love in treatments to recover the heart of infarcted patients

Kissing, caressing, hugging and even receiving sweet and pleasant words trigger

, a neurohormone that, when released, acts on different

and causes

sexual intercourse, but also through exercise or art- and promotes

ties

.

Its functions are also present in uterine contractions, as well as in the regulation of breastfeeding and ejaculation, sperm transport and testosterone production in men.

To those already known, it is now added that of promoting the activation of the epicardial cells and the

after a cardiac injury;

that is, it appears as a potential 'coadjuvant' that would support healing

, according to a study published in the latest Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, where it is shown that this discovery could be transferred to the clinic to promote the regeneration of the human heart after heart attack.

The observation is the work of researchers at Michigan State University (USA) who have shown -

and

cell cultures - that oxytocin has another unsuspected function: it stimulates stem cells derived from the

, the outer layer of the heart, so that they migrate to the myocardium, its middle layer, and there they

, muscle cells that generate the contractions of the heart.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in developed countries and very often leads to serious cardiac events, such as

that can cause the

, the main contractile cells of the adult heart.

If left untreated, this condition can lead to heart failure.

Potential therapies in humans

Aitor Aguirre

, from the Division of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University (USA) and

of the study, points out that "we show that oxytocin, a neuropeptide also known as the ' hormone of love', is capable of

in human and zebrafish cell cultures in injured hearts, opening the door to new

for heart regeneration in humans."

The US team hypothesizes that oxytocin

after cardiac injury to facilitate

and regeneration of the heart.

According to their data, “Oxytocin mRNA levels were increased—up to 20-fold in zebrafish brains three days after cardiac cryoinjury—with a corresponding increase observed in wt1b expression in injured hearts.”

The oxytocin then travels to the zebrafish epicardium and binds to the oxytocin receptor, triggering a molecular cascade that stimulates local cells to expand and

cells ( EpiPCs

.

Cardiac muscle cells regenerate in zebrafish.

Photo: DM.

The new EpiPCs then migrate to the zebrafish myocardium to become

important cardiac cells, to replace those that were lost, results that suggest "this newly synthesized neurohormone travels to the heart to induce epicardial activation, a

.

After a

cardiomyocytes usually die in large numbers.

Because they are highly specialized cells,

However, previous studies have shown that a subset of cells in the epicardium can be

, which can

not only cardiomyocytes, but also other cardiac cell types.

"You have to think of EpiPCs like the

who repaired cathedrals in Europe in the Middle Ages. Unfortunately for us, the production of EpiPCs is

for heart regeneration in humans under natural conditions," explains Aguirre.

'magic bullet'

The

has been the chosen model to study if it would be possible to regenerate hearts more efficiently and how to carry it out, since it is famous for its

, including the brain, the retina, the internal organs, the bones and skin.

"They do not suffer heart attacks, but their many predators attack any of their organs, including the heart, so the zebrafish is able to

.

The researchers explain that this phenomenon is due, in large part, to the proliferation of cardiomyocytes, but also to EpiPCs.

But, they wonder: how do zebrafish EpiPCs repair the heart so efficiently?

Can

that can artificially boost EpiPC production in humans?

.

And this 'magic bullet' appears to be

, they point out.

In the research, the team shows that oxytocin in zebrafish has a similar effect on

and is unique.

No other of the

stimulates cultures of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSCs) to convert to EpiPC, at up to twice the basal rate: a

previously shown to stimulate epiPC.

EpiPC production in mice.

In contrast,

prevented regenerative activation of human EpiPCs in culture.

Analysis has also shown that the link between oxytocin and EpiPC stimulation is "the important

" known to regulate cell growth, differentiation, and migration.

In view of the data, Aguirre considers that "it is likely that oxytocin stimulation of EpiPC production is

to a significant degree.

It's not an illusion

Oxytocin is widely used in the clinic for other reasons, so reuse for patients

.

Even if heart regeneration were only partial, the benefits to patients could be significant."

The next step will be to analyze the status of oxytocin in humans after cardiac injury.

Research shows that oxytocin itself is

, so its effects on patients could be hampered by this fact.

"

- with a longer half-life or greater potency - could be useful in this context. Both experimental

in patients must continue to advance in this field," concludes Aguirre.

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