Abstract: Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter synthesized by the hypothalamus. Oxytocin and astrocytes play important roles in promoting visual cortex plasticity. It has been shown that dark-reared mice have reduced excitatory synaptic transmission in primary visual cortex and decreased oxytocin secretion. Oxytocin participates in the opening of the critical period via Somatostatin-positive (SST+) interneurons, and it is related to neurogenesis in adulthood. Both endogenous and exogenous oxytocin can affect the morphology of astrocytes. The synaptic elimination of astrocytes is closely related to the refinement of neural circuits. The immature astrocytes reopen critical period in adult mice, which means the critical period can be extended as long as delaying the maturation of astrocytes. (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2023, 47: 170-174)

Key words: oxytocin, astrocyte, visual cortex, visual development, critical period