Oxytocin treatment at birth accelerates an epigenetic shift in the oxytocin receptor gene in the maternal brain.

backgroundTo date, nearly one in three births in the United States occurs after a labor induced with synthetic oxytocin. Despite how common this intervention is, little is known about its long-term consequences for maternal health. Existing work has identified a link between labor induction with synthetic oxytocin and increased risk for postpartum depression. For some women, the link between labor induction and postpartum depression risk may be altered functioning of the oxytocin system, including epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene, OXTR. Here we use the prairie vole to understand how pregnancy and birth impact epigenetic control of Oxtr, and how a labor induced with synthetic oxytocin may alter this control.

methodsIn an unmanipulated birth model, we measured Oxtr DNA methylation levels in the brain of virgin females, at term pregnancy, and 90 min postpartum using targeted pyrosequencing at four CpG sites in the Oxtr promotor region that are conserved from the human OXTR. We used RT-PCR to assess Oxtr gene expression levels in the brains of these same subjects. These same methods were next used in a model of labor induction with exogenous oxytocin. In both models, brain regions targeted for analysis included the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and medial preoptic area. These regions all use oxytocin system activity in regulating aspects of maternal behaviors. 2-way ANOVA, unpaired two-tailed t-tests, and Pearson's and Spearman's correlations were used for analyses.

resultsResults identify a regulatory switch in Oxtr from term pregnancy to early postpartum that is facilitated in part by oxytocin. Oxtr DNA methylation in virgins is negatively associated with Oxtr gene expression at all four conserved CpG sites in the nucleus accumbens. At term pregnancy, there is no relationship between these markers. Immediately postpartum, this relationship shifts back to a pre-pregnancy state. Administration of increasing doses of exogenous oxytocin, modeling labor induction, shifts the methylation-expression relationship toward a negative state in the nucleus accumbens, mimicking a postnatal brain but at a prenatal time point.

conclusionsFindings show epigenetic control of Oxtr is dynamic across pregnancy and birth and is sensitive to exogenous oxytocin. Results indicate a need to better understand how common birth interventions impact Oxtr regulation in the maternal brain.