Oxytocin Nasal Spray
2 mg of the cyclic nonapeptide hormone as a sterile solution in bacteriostatic water, in a metered spray bottle. Filled from a peptide lot tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory before release. Classified hazardous; see the SDS.
| Compound | Oxytocin (acetate salt as supplied) |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 50-56-6 |
| Molecular formula | C43H66N12O12S2 |
| Contents | Oxytocin: 2 mg per bottle (≤ 0.02% w/v) |
| Form | Sterile aqueous solution in bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), supplied in a metered nasal spray bottle |
| Storage, sealed | Store at 2–8 °C, protected from light; do not freeze |
| Format | Solution in a metered nasal spray bottle |
Sizes and lots
- 2 mg · 1 bottle — $88.99
- 2 mg · Kit of 10 — $791.12
Oxytocin, the nine-residue hormone CYIQNCPLG-NH2 with a disulfide-closed ring, is supplied here as an oxytocin nasal spray: 2 mg of oxytocin acetate in bacteriostatic water, in a metered spray bottle. Intranasal delivery is the route behind most human oxytocin research, and that literature is split on two questions: how much oxytocin reaches the brain by this route, and how many of the behavioural findings would hold up on replication.
What is in the bottle
The bottle holds 2 mg of oxytocin, supplied as the acetate salt, dissolved in bacteriostatic water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative; the safety data sheet records the concentration as no more than 0.02% w/v, and the bottle label gives it exactly. The SDS classifies the oxytocin ingredient as toxic if swallowed or inhaled, a respiratory and skin sensitiser and a category 1A reproductive toxicant that may damage fertility or the unborn child. Because a spray produces fine droplets, the inhalation statements are the ones most relevant to handling it in the laboratory.
Keep the bottle upright and capped at 2 to 8 °C, out of the light, and do not freeze it. The peptide storage and stability article covers peptides in solution, and the oxytocin 2 mg vial holds the same peptide freeze-dried.
What the research covers
Intranasal oxytocin studies assume that the peptide reaches the central nervous system directly from the nose and acts there on oxytocin receptors1. Striepens and colleagues gave the first combined measurements in humans: with blood and cerebrospinal fluid sampled in 15 people after intranasal oxytocin or placebo, oxytocin rose in both, peaking in plasma at 15 minutes while CSF levels took up to 75 minutes to become significant, and plasma and CSF concentrations did not correlate2.
Others read the evidence differently. Leng and Ludwig argued that very little of the large amounts applied intranasally appears to reach the cerebrospinal fluid, while blood levels rise to supraphysiological levels with likely effects on the gut, heart and reproductive tract, and that many published oxytocin measurements used discredited methods3. A 2021 review by Quintana and colleagues set out converging human and animal evidence for functionally relevant nose-to-brain effects, while treating reproducibility, statistical power and sex differences as open problems1.
Frequently asked questions
How much oxytocin is in the bottle?
2 mg of oxytocin, supplied as the acetate salt, recorded on the safety data sheet at no more than 0.02% w/v in bacteriostatic water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol. The bottle label gives the exact concentration for the bottle in hand.
Does intranasal oxytocin reach the brain?
The evidence is disputed. One human study found oxytocin rising in cerebrospinal fluid after intranasal delivery, more slowly than in blood. Critics argue that the share reaching the brain is very small and that blood levels rise far above normal. None of this work tested this product.
Have the behavioural findings with intranasal oxytocin held up?
Not reliably. A 2016 statistical analysis concluded that intranasal oxytocin studies were generally underpowered and that most published findings probably did not represent true effects. A 2021 review argued that methods have since improved. This spray is for laboratory work, not behavioural studies in people.
References
- Quintana DS, Lischke A, Grace S, et al. Advances in the field of intranasal oxytocin research: lessons learned and future directions for clinical research. Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(1):80-91. DOI · PubMed
- Striepens N, Kendrick KM, Hanking V, et al. Elevated cerebrospinal fluid and blood concentrations of oxytocin following its intranasal administration in humans. Sci Rep. 2013;3:3440. DOI · PubMed
- Leng G, Ludwig M. Intranasal Oxytocin: Myths and Delusions. Biol Psychiatry. 2016;79(3):243-50. DOI · PubMed
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.