Table 1.

Acute and long-term effects of oxytocin administration in young animals.

Study	Study Type	Sample	Gender	Focus	Dose of OXT and route of administration	Duration of treatment	Behavioral Observations
Bales and Perkeybile, 2012	Prairie voles	N = 89;	Male and female	Acute and long-term	IN:	21 days	“Prosocial effects” identified following single dose administration. Impaired formation of pair-bond in male voles in dose-dependent curve
	Blind study: OXT or saline;	EXPOSED PND 21–42 days old (adolescence)			Low = 0.08 IU/kg
					Med = 0.8 IU/kg
					High = 8.0 IU/kg
Bales et al., 2007	Prairie voles; saline or one of four dosages of oxytocin	Neonates (PND1); N = 8–12 per group	Female	Long-term	2, 4 or 8 mg/kg injection	1 day	Effects differed per dose, but not linear. Both increase and decrease the propensity to display behaviors such as pair-bonding
Bales et al., 2004	Prairie voles; saline, oxytocin or antagonist	Neonates (PND1)	Male and female	Long-term	IP	1 day	Different effects on social and anxiety behavior in the sexes
Rault et al., 2013	Pigs	N = 24; EXPOSED PND 1–3; (neonates)	Male and female	Acute and long-term	IN 24 IU	3 days (daily dosing at 1,2,3 days of age)	Neonatally OT-administered pigs received increased aggressive interactions and showed aggressive behaviors, increased locomotion, less social contact and raised cortisol levels at 17 days and 8 weeks. Decreased responsiveness on dexamethasone suppression test at 11 weeks
	OXT or saline; acute and long-term
Simpson et al., 2014	Newborn macaques	N = 28;	Male and female	Long-term	IN dose unquantified	7 days	Increased affiliation, communication gestures
	Blind study: OXT or saline	Newborn macaques
	Long-term effects	EXPOSED PND 7-14
Bowen et al., 2011	Wistar Rats	N = 48; PND 33–42 (early adolescence)	Male	Long-term	1 mg/kg IP	PND 33–42	Less anxiety, more sociability and reduced motivation to consume alcohol. Changes to OX system
Suraev et al., 2014	Long-Evans Rats, Oxytocin or selective	PND 28–55; (Adolescence)	Male	Acute and long-term effects	0.5–1 mg/kg, IP; intermittent regime of OT exposure (10 doses in total)	During entire adolescence PND 28–55	Acute decrease in social play and possible sedation;
	OXTR agonist						Long-term: increase social interaction;
							Increased plasma oxytocin.
							Selective oxytocin agonist could not fully mimic effects, implicating V1aR in some effects

PND, postnatal day; IN, Intranasal; IP, Intraperitoneal.