• Oxytocin administration in the paraventricular nucleus alleviates chronic pain and anxiety-like behavior in a mouse model of lumbar disc herniation.
• Oxytocin reduces inflammation in dorsal root ganglia by downregulating prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin-1β mRNA expression.
• The therapeutic effect of oxytocin is mediated by upregulation of oxytocin receptor and modulation of p-ERK1/2 signaling in the paraventricular nucleus.
• Vasotocin, an oxytocin antagonist, reverses the beneficial effects of oxytocin, confirming the specific role of oxytocin receptor signaling.