Oxytocin, sometimes called the “love hormone”, could help heal heart attacked or injured, according to a study published Friday in the scientific journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

In this new study on zebrafish and human cells, the scientists found that oxytocina hormone created by the brain, it can help regenerate heart tissue after an injury And, in theory, it could someday be used to treat heart attacks, according to the researchers.

However, as the new study was conducted in aquariums and laboratory dishes, this theoretical treatment is still far from being achieved. But it is progress.

The role of oxytocin in infarcted hearts

Oxytocin has been dubbed the “love” or “hug” hormone due to its well-known role in creating social bonds and trust between people, and their levels often increase when people hug, have sex, or orgasm.

Howeveror, the so-called love hormone also performs many other functions in the body, such as activating contractions during childbirth and promote subsequent lactation.

Oxytocin also helps protect the cardiovascular system from injuryas it reduces blood pressure, inflammation and the spread of free radicals, a reactive byproduct of normal cellular metabolism, according to another study published in 2020 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

The new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, highlights another potential benefit of oxytocin: At least in zebrafish, the hormone helps the heart replace injured and dead cardiomyocytes, the muscle cells that drive the heart’s contractions.

Early results in human cells suggest that oxytocin could stimulate similar effects in people if given at the right time and in the right dose.

The heart and its ability to recover

“The heart has a very limited ability to repair or replace damaged or dead tissue”the study authors point out in their report.

However, several studies suggest that after an injury, such as a heart attack, a subset of cells in the outermost membrane of the heart, called the epicardium, takes on a new identity. These cells descend into the heart tissue layer where the muscles reside and develop into stem cells, which can then develop into various types of heart cells, including cardiomyocytes.

This process has been extensively studied in animals, and there is some evidence to suggest it can also occur in adult humans.

“However, if the process occurs in people, it appears to be too inefficient and cell-poor to lead to significant tissue regeneration after a heart attack,” the study authors said in a statement.

According to the authors, if more epicardial cells were somehow encouraged to transform into cardiomyocytes, scientists could help the heart rebuild itself after the damage caused by oxytocin.