Research background · Updated November 1, 2026
Oxytocin Research: Publications, Study Types and Background
Short answer
Oxytocin. As of November 1, 2026, PubMed indexes 15,221 records matching Oxytocin, the earliest from 1929; 2,422 were published in 2021–2025 and 1,445 are reviews. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1,412 registered studies matching the compound.
- PubMed records
- 15,221
- Earliest record
- 1929
- Published 2021–2025
- 2,422
- Reviews
- 1,445
- Animal-only studies
- 6,444
- Registered studies
- 1,412
Publications per year, 2006–2025
5,462 records in 2016–2025 against 3,230 in 2006–2015; the busiest year was 2021, with 604.
See the numbers
| Year | PubMed records |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 177 |
| 2007 | 205 |
| 2008 | 216 |
| 2009 | 239 |
| 2010 | 299 |
| 2011 | 287 |
| 2012 | 367 |
| 2013 | 441 |
| 2014 | 487 |
| 2015 | 512 |
| 2016 | 510 |
| 2017 | 572 |
| 2018 | 596 |
| 2019 | 567 |
| 2020 | 555 |
| 2021 | 604 |
| 2022 | 538 |
| 2023 | 485 |
| 2024 | 485 |
| 2025 | 550 |
Study types
| All PubMed records | 15,221 |
|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,4459% |
| Animal studies (no human subjects indexed) | 6,44442% |
| Indexed as clinical trials | 1,4169% |
| Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov | 1,412 |
Categories overlap and follow PubMed’s own indexing; recent records may not be indexed yet.
Primary research directions
What 2 of the most-cited and most recent Oxytocin papers report, in their own authors’ terms. Each line links the paper it came from.
Social behaviour circuits
This review describes oxytocin as regulating parturition, lactation, parental nurturing and other social behaviours in both sexes, and discusses recent work on oxytocin neuron activity during social interaction.
ReviewFroemke RC 2021Annual review of neurosciencePMID 33823654
Pleiotropic peptide hormone
This review describes oxytocin as a pleiotropic peptide hormone whose effects are context-dependent, sexually dimorphic and shaped by experience, and notes that its tendency to change chemical form and bind other molecules makes it hard to measure.
ReviewCarter CS 2020Pharmacological reviewsPMID 32912963
Most-studied topics
The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic, across 400 of the 15,221 records. They describe what the literature is about, not what Oxytocin does.
- Oxytocin344 papers
- Receptors, Oxytocin56 papers
- Social Behavior26 papers
- Oxytocics23 papers
- Labor, Induced19 papers
- Labor, Obstetric19 papers
- Vasopressins17 papers
- Brain16 papers
Key papers
Earliest indexed record
David JC (1929). The Indian medical gazette.
PMID 29009547Most-cited paper · 461 citations
Leng G (2016). Biological psychiatry.
PMID 26049207Most-cited #2 · 400 citations
De Dreu CK (2011). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
PMID 21220339Most-cited #3 · 378 citations
Stoop R (2012). Neuron.
PMID 23040812
Citation counts from NIH iCite, among the 400 records sampled. Titles are left out; open each record on PubMed to read it.
Identity
| CAS | 50-56-6 |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C43H66N12O12S2 |
| Molecular weight | 1007.2 g/mol |
| Synonyms | OXYTOCIN, Pitocin, Endopituitrina, Syntocinon, Ocytocin |
Identity data from PubChem, retrieved November 1, 2026, on the Oxytocin page.
How these numbers were counted
- PubMed search, run November 1, 2026:
oxytocin[ti]re-run it. Study types add PubMed’s own filters (review, clinical trial, animals not humans). - Topics: MeSH major-topic headings counted across up to 400 of the matching records; headings for study set-up (species, sex, age) are left out.
- Citations: NIH iCite citation counts for the same records.
- ClinicalTrials.gov search:
oxytocinre-run it. Any phase, any status.
This page reports what has been published and what papers say they found, with each source linked. It gives no dosing or usage information, and nothing here is a reason to use Oxytocin outside a laboratory.
Wholesale supply
Oxytocin, sourced to order for research.
Not held in the listed catalog. Tell us the vial size and the number of vials and we come back with availability, documentation and pricing in writing.
Oxytocin research questions
How much research has been published on Oxytocin?
PubMed indexes 15,221 records matching Oxytocin (searched November 1, 2026), including 1,445 reviews and 1,416 records indexed as clinical trials. 2,422 were published in the five years 2021–2025.
When was Oxytocin first described in the literature?
The earliest PubMed record matching Oxytocin is from 1929 (David JC, The Indian medical gazette, PMID 29009547).
What topics does the Oxytocin literature cover?
The subject headings PubMed indexers most often marked as a main topic of Oxytocin papers are Oxytocin, Receptors, Oxytocin, Social Behavior, Oxytocics. These describe what the literature is about. Findings from individual papers, with their sources, are summarized on this page.
Is Oxytocin sold for human use?
No. Vanta Foundry supplies it for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a drug, food, cosmetic or dietary supplement.
Where can I buy Oxytocin wholesale for research?
We source Oxytocin to order rather than stock it. Tell us the vial size and number of vials on WhatsApp or by email and the quote confirms availability, documentation and pricing.
Research materials supplied by Vanta Foundry are for laboratory research use only. They are not for human or veterinary use and are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements. Websites and payment processing are business services for research-supply brands.
All compounds: research peptide publication statistics.