Oxytocin has also been shown to be effective in reducing stress-related relapse-like behavior. Systemic administration of OXT decreased methamphetamine-seeking behavior following predator odor exposure (Ferland et al., 2016) and yohimbine administration (Cox et al., 2013) in rats. Additionally, repeated dosing of OXT during a forced abstinence period attenuated yohimbine-induced reinstatement of methamphetamine-seeking behavior (Everett et al., 2019). In mice, centrally administered OXT (icv.) attenuated reinstatement of methamphetamine CPP induced by restraint stress (Qi et al., 2009, Han et al., 2014), and systemic administration of the OXT analog, carbetocin, reduced the effects of forced-swim stress on reinstatement of morphine-induced CPP (Zanos et al., 2014). Finally, peripherally administered OXT across a range of doses (0.1–1mg/kg; ip.) attenuated alcohol-seeking behavior induced by yohimbine administration or exposure to predator odor in male and female mice (King and Becker, 2019).
