A scientific review by Dr. Anna Aulinas, coordinator of the Functional Unit for Pituitary Diseases at Hospital de Sant Pau and researcher with the Pituitary Diseases group at the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau), together with Dr. Elizabeth Lawson, professor at Harvard Medical School, offers a new perspective on hypopituitarism. The review focuses on an aspect that has so far received little attention: the potential oxytocin deficiency in these patients.
The review, titled “The Oxytocin System and Implications for Oxytocin Deficiency in Hypothalamic-Pituitary Disease”, was published in Endocrine Reviews, one of the most prestigious international journals in the field of endocrinology. In addition to being pioneering in its subject, the review was highlighted by the journal itself as the “Featured Article of the Week,” a distinction reserved for the most relevant and potentially impactful contributions within the scientific community.
Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the hypothalamus and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland, traditionally known for its role in childbirth and lactation. However, recent studies have proved that it also plays a central role in regulating food intake, body composition, bone health, cardiovascular activity, emotions, and social bonding.
The review compiles, for the first time in a comprehensive way, data pointing to a potential oxytocin deficiency in individuals with hypothalamic and/or pituitary damage—caused by tumors, surgery, radiotherapy, or inflammatory diseases. This could contribute to some persistent symptoms these patients experience, despite conventional hormone replacement therapy.
The concept of oxytocin deficiency in hypopituitarism is not yet fully recognized but is emerging as a clinical entity with its own distinct features. Through analysis of existing literature, the review identifies evidence linking this deficiency to poorer quality of life, psychosocial disturbances, a tendency toward obesity, and bone fragility, among other issues.
Although some patients have begun to receive oxytocin as an experimental therapy in highly controlled clinical settings, the authors emphasize that further research is needed before it can be recommended for widespread use. In particular, there is an urgent need to develop specific diagnostic tests to detect oxytocin deficiency, as well as to assess the safety and efficacy of treatments in well-designed clinical trials.
The review concludes that incorporating oxytocin into the set of hormones considered in the management of hypopituitarism could represent a paradigm shift in patient care. The proposal is clear: when symptoms persist despite standard hormone replacement therapy, it may be necessary to look beyond and also consider the function of the neurohypophysis.
According to Dr. Aulinas, “Oxytocin deficiency could explain part of the invisible suffering experienced by these patients. Recognizing it opens the door to a new research path and, in the future, to a more comprehensive and humane approach to their medical care.” This work marks a turning point in the understanding of “non-classical” hormonal deficits associated with hypopituitarism and invites a reevaluation of how these complex disorders are diagnosed and treated.
Aulinas A, Lawson EA. The oxytocin system and implications for oxytocin deficiency in hypothalamic-pituitary disease. Endocr Rev 2025. https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/bnaf008
