Wanna solidify that bond with your significant other?

[MissBehavior]

TAKE MORE E!

* 10:52 04 April 2007
* NewScientist.com news service
* Emma Young

Clubbers who take the "love drug" ecstasy really might be "loved up".
Studies in rats suggest the drug causes a brain surge of oxytocin -
the hormone that helps bond couples, as well as mothers to their
babies.

Earlier research found increased oxytocin in the blood of people who
had taken ecstasy. However, many drugs increase blood oxytocin without
raising it in the brain - something thought necessary for any
"pro-social" effects.

Iain McGregor at the University of Sydney in Australia, and his
colleagues studied the effects of ecstasy in rats, which, like people,
become more sociable on the drug. "It's very characteristic behaviour.
They lie next to each other and chill out," McGregor says.

The team gave the rats the equivalent of two to three ecstasy tablets
in an adult human and found that the drug activated
oxytocin-containing neurons in an area of their brains called the
hypothalamus. When they gave the rats a drug that blocked brain
receptors for oxytocin, the increased sociability almost disappeared.

Why it didn't disappear entirely isn't clear. It could be that the
dose of the receptor blocker was too low, or that other brain
chemicals, such as dopamine, are also involved in triggering the
sociable behaviour, McGregor says.
"Sensual, not sexual"

The finding ties in with reports from people on ecstasy about how they
feel, McGregor points out. Rodent studies have shown a massive surge
of oxytocin after orgasm in males. "It's interesting that guys on
ecstasy feel more sensual than sexual," McGregor says. "It could be
that raising oxytocin levels puts them in that sort of post-orgasmic
state where they're actually not very good at performing sexually but
they feel really good about the person they're with."

McGregor's team now plan to investigate the levels of oxytocin in
rats' brains after they've taken MDMA, and to see which parts of the
brain in particular are affected.

They suspect that the oxytocin release might be implicated not only in
the pro-social effects of ecstasy but also in the reinforcing effects.
There is much research to be done on how drugs of abuse affect
oxytocin in the brain, says McGregor. "What we know at the moment
could be written on the back of a postage stamp."

Journal reference: Neuroscience (DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.02.032)

[mapleleaf4ever]

Here I thought the answer was Duct Tape.

[miSsy_chriSsy]

" Studies in rats suggest the drug causes a brain surge of oxytocin -
the hormone that helps bond couples, as well as mothers to their
babies."

lol me and brooklynn have some serious raving to do....

[crackdragon]

huh.... so thats why my relationships failed in the end. Just not enough drugs :P

[MissBehavior]

Originally Posted by miSsy_chriSsy

" Studies in rats suggest the drug causes a brain surge of oxytocin -
the hormone that helps bond couples, as well as mothers to their
babies."

lol me and brooklynn have some serious raving to do....

She's already got a soother I bet!

[zarlon]

there are other ways to raise oxytocin (gah every time i write that word i almost type oxycotin) like romance, trying to 'rekindle the flame'

plus, you may be in love when you're e-tarded, but then you've sobered up before you know it and things aren't quite so peachy anymore, haha

[zarlon]

Originally Posted by crackdragon

huh.... so thats why my relationships failed in the end. Just not enough drugs :P

that's right, blame it on the drugs!

[galaxie]

Originally Posted by miSsy_chriSsy

" lol me and brooklynn have some serious raving to do....

HAHAHAHA karrrma