How the Love Hormone May Boost Immune Response Against COVID

I had previously shared a personal insight concerning out-of-the-box investigation in the fight against COVID-19 when I wrote— “How an Old Army Vaccine May Have Saved My Life:”

BCG inoculation is safe for everyone, and doses are non-expensive to produce, thus allowing for mass-production. The vaccine works as an immune system modulator, protecting against harmful “cytokine storms” and training type I interferon like a drill-sergeant in boot camp.

I am utterly convinced that to defeat COVID-19, we must find ways for our immune system to engage the enemy with paramount accuracy, avoiding collateral damage to the host as far as possible.

To this end, I am focusing on research that strives to better understand how our immune system works and how we can modulate it to prevent “cytokine storms.”

The term “cytokine storm” emerged during the SARS epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-1 to explain the hyperactive immune response characterized by the release of cytokines in levels harmful to host cells, leading to an abnormal and utterly dysregulated inflammatory response. (ibid.)

Today I came across an article from the American Physiological Society focusing on Oxytocin’s anti-inflammatory and proimmune functions in COVID-19. The following chapters recall those findings.

Oxytocin — “the love hormone.”

Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and secreted by the pituitary gland. This important hormone plays a crucial role in the childbirth process and also helps with male reproduction.

Oxytocin (OXT) is commonly known as the “love hormone” because it is released when people develop affectionate behavior towards each other. This is why oxytocin levels are elevated when we start a new relationship or during sexual activity.

Endocrinologists already knew about the anti-inflammatory and proimmune adaptive functions of OXT. During this new investigation, researchers performed a study into oxytocin to investigate if the hormone could prevent “cytokine storms” in the early stages of the disease; in a previous story, we have already discussed how cytokine storms are essential factors that lead to worsening of clinical cases. Thus, this new investigation proposes intravenous oxytocin (OXT) as a candidate for adjunctive therapy for COVID-19.

Oxytocin also has anti-inflammatory properties, which promote an immune response. Previous research suggests the hormone protects against toxic injury and reduces levels of inflammatory substances in the lungs. Studies have also shown that cultured human cells with reduced expression of oxytocin receptors have higher levels of inflammatory proteins and oxidative stress.

Carbetocin’s role in immunodefense

Researchers analyzed the characteristics of genes that have been treated with drugs closely related to oxytocin. They found how one drug, carbetocin, may promote the activation of immune response T cells and reduce the expression of the inflammatory markers that trigger cytokine storms in people with COVID-19.

Carbetocin also showed similarities with the antiretroviral lopinavir already used in treatment for COVID-19.

Thus, the authors have noted oxytocin’s potential as a co-adjuvant treatment for coronavirus-related cytokine storms, following the same reasoning used by other researchers concerning BCG vaccination.

Concluding remarks

Scientists note how “safety and efficacy of intravenous oxytocin in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 remain to be assessed.” Nevertheless, winter is coming, and we must make every bullet count during the COVID-19 long night.

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