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Abstract Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide involved, among other functions, in the regulation of stress and inflammation. OT's impact on inflammatory and stress‐related processes is particularly relevant in older adults, given that elevated levels of systemic inflammation typically associated with age can be amplified by stress. Methylation of the OT receptor gene ( OXTR m) is an epigenetic process that reduces the availability of receptors to bind with OT. While acute stress has been shown to increase OXTR m levels in older adults, the interplay of OXTR m and stress on inflammation remains unexamined. This study collected blood samples from 116 generally healthy older adults ( M age = 71.2 years, SD = 7.51 years, range = 55–95 years) to quantify methylation OXTR m at CpG site ‐924 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α as biomarkers of systemic inflammation, as well as assessed self‐reported levels of stress. Moderated linear regression revealed that higher OXTR m methylation levels and greater perceived stress were associated with greater systemic inflammation ( B = 0.24, p = 0.006). These findings highlight OXTR m as an epigenetic pathway linking stress and inflammation in aging.
Wright et al. (Sat,) studied this question.