Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40166823›Full record

Trial reportThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2025

Melatonin as a Possible Stimulus to Unmask an Oxytocin-Deficient State in Hypopituitarism and Hypothalamic Damage.

Queralt Asla, Maite Garrido, Eulàlia Urgell, Sílvia Terzan, Alicia Santos, Nimmy Varghese, Cihan Atila, Betina Biagetti, Franziska Plessow, Mirjam Christ-Crain and 4 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05319301 (Identification and Clinical Relevance of an Oxytocin Deficient State Following Melatonin Administration in Patients With Hypopituitarism), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05319301 nacompletednot on this map

Identification and Clinical Relevance of an Oxytocin Deficient State Following Melatonin Administration in Patients With Hypopituitarism: a Proof-of-concept, Physiopathological Study With a Control Group

TypeinterventionalSponsorFundació Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant PauRan2022 to 2023Enrolled40ConditionsOxytocin Deficiency, Hypopituitarism, Hypothalamic Obesity, Pituitary DysfunctionArmsMelatonin
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency and Oxytocin Deficiency in the Endocrine Clinic.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Queralt AslaDepartment of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, ENDO-ERN, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
Maite GarridoCentre d'Investigació del Medicament (CIM), IR-SANT PAU, 08041 Barcelona, Spain.
Eulàlia UrgellDepartment of Biochemistry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
Sílvia TerzanDepartment of Biochemistry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
Alicia SantosDepartment of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, ENDO-ERN, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
Nimmy VargheseResearch Cluster Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Universität Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Cihan AtilaDepartment of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Universitätsspital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-5442-7304
Betina BiagettiCentro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unit 747), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain.
Franziska PlessowNeuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Mirjam Christ-CrainDepartment of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Universitätsspital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6336-0965
Anne EckertResearch Cluster Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Universität Basel, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Susan M WebbInstitut de Recerca Sant Pau (IR-SANT PAU), 08041 Barcelona, Spain.
Elizabeth A LawsonNeuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Anna AulinasDepartment of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, ENDO-ERN, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-1205-7114

Funding

ROLE OF DIETARY CONSTITUENTS ON GENE EXPRESSION IN INTESTINAL EPITHELIUMP30DK040561 · NIDDK · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Takara Leah Stanley · 1994 to 2026
$31.6M
European Regional Development FundEuropean Social Fund JR19/00013Fundació de Gestió Sanitària de l'Hospital de la Santa CreuIII FIS PI20/01165Instituto de Salud CarlosNIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK040561
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextIncreasing evidence supports the presence of oxytocin deficiency (OXT-D) in hypopituitarism and hypothalamic damage (HHD). Identifying an applicable and reliable test to diagnose OXT-D is an unmet need. Melatonin (MEL) might be a candidate for such a test as it regulates OXT release in animals.

objectiveThis work aimed to examine the effects of melatonin on OXT release in HHD compared to healthy controls (HCs) and to describe the psychopathology, sexual function, and quality of life (QoL) and their associations with OXT.

methodsThis proof-of-concept study (NCT05319301) included 20 participants with HHD (11 women) and 20 HCs (11 women). Blood samples were collected over 120 minutes to assess plasma OXT. A linear mixed-effects regression model was used to evaluate the change in OXT in response to MEL in HHD compared to HCs.

resultsMEL significantly increased OXT at T90 vs T0 in HCs compared to the HHD group (difference 14.57 pg/mL 26% increase; 95% CI, 1.90-27.23; P = .02). The HHD group had more depression symptoms, alexithymia, impaired sexual function, and worse QoL compared to HCs. The mean percentage change in OXT from T0 to T90 was negatively associated with depressive and alexithymia symptoms in the HHD group and anxiety in both groups.

conclusionThe reduced OXT response after MEL in HHD supports the existence of an impaired OXT response at least in a subset of patients with HHD. The associations between OXT changes and psychopathology suggest its role in mood and QoL. These findings support further investigation into MEL's role as a diagnostic tool to address OXT-D.

Indexed as

HypopituitarismHypothalamic DiseasesHypothalamusMelatoninOxytocinAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProof of Concept StudyQuality of LifeYoung AdultMelatoninOxytocinarginine-vasopressin deficiencyhypopituitarismmelatoninoxytocinpineal glandstimulation test

Identifiers

PMID40166823
PMCPMC12623053

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.