Oxytocin is a neurohypophysial peptide consisting of nine amino acids with a disulfide bond between residues 1 and 6 and a semi-flexible carboxyamidated tail. It is produced in the paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary. It was initially thought that this hormone is limited to female smooth muscle reproductive physiology, however, recent studies have demonstrated the role of Oxytocin as a neurotransmitter in various behaviors including orgasm, social recognition, pair bonding, anxiety, and maternal behaviors, as well as in male reproductive physiology. Additionally, Oxytocin and the related neurohypophysial peptide, Arg⁸– Vasopressin, maintain renal water and sodium balance. Acting in classical endocrine fashion, Oxytocin elicits regulatory effects by binding specific cell surface receptors which in turn initiate a secondary intracellular response cascade via a phosphoinositide signaling pathway. The ZellX® Oxytocin ELISA kit is a competitive ELISA assay to quantitatively measure Oxytocin present in serum, plasma, saliva, clarified milk, and tissue culture media samples.To measure oxytocin using chemiluminescence immunoassay use our Oxutocin CLIA Kit (Cat. No. ZX-66106-96)