"The Hormone of Family Happiness" helped restore a damaged heart.

Biologists from the University of Michigan have found that the "hormone of family happiness" oxytocin starts the process of repairing damaged heart muscle. In the future, the substance can be used for rehabilitation after a heart attack. Oxytocin induces stem cells from the epicardium (outer layer of the heart) to move into the myocardium (heart muscle) and become cardiomyocytes. These cells provide automatic contractions. New properties of the hormone were discovered during experiments on zebrafish - scientists damaged their hearts with liquid nitrogen and observed regeneration. The higher the concentration of oxytocin, the faster the organ recovered. Experiments with cultures of human cells showed the same results.