Salivary α-Amylase Levels after Yohimbine Challenge in Healthy Men

Ehlert, Ulrike; Erni, Katja; Hebisch, Gundula; Nater, Urs M.

doi:10.1210/jc.2006-0461

Cited by 144 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Our results may, therefore, indicate increased sympathetic activity during the amniocentesis, but further research is needed. These findings parallel previous results from our workgroup on nonpregnant healthy participants (27,45) and are in line with our prior study on sAA reactivity during pregnancy revealing an increase in second-and third-trimester pregnant women confronted with an acute laboratory-based psychosocial stressor (42).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

The Acute Autonomic Stress Response and Amniotic Fluid Glucocorticoids in Second-Trimester Pregnant Women

Marca-Ghaemmaghami¹,

Dainese²,

Marca³

et al. 2015

Psychosomatic Medicine

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

OBJECTIVE: The maternal autonomic nervous system (ANS) has received little attention in the investigation of biological mechanisms linking prenatal stress to fetal cortisol (F) excess. In vitro, norepinephrine and epinephrine inhibit placental 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11-HSD2), which protects the fetus from F overexposure by inactivating it to cortisone (E). Here, we investigated the acute ANS stress response to an amniocentesis and its association with amniotic fluid F, E, and E/(E + F) as a marker of fetoplacental 11-HSD2 activity. METHODS: An aliquot of amniotic fluid was obtained from 34 healthy, second-trimester pregnant women undergoing amniocentesis. Repeated assessment of mood states served to examine the psychological stress response to amniocentesis. Saliva samples were collected to measure stress-induced changes in salivary -amylase concentrations in response to amniocentesis. Cardiac parameters were measured continuously. RESULTS: Undergoing amniocentesis induced significant psychological and autonomic alterations. Low-frequency (LF)/high-frequency (HF) baseline, suggested to reflect sympathovagal balance, was negatively correlated with amniotic E/(E + F) (r=-0.53, p = .002) and positively with F (r = 0.62, p < .001). In contrast, a stronger acute LF/HF response was positively associated with E/(E + F) (r = 0.44, p = .012) and negatively with F (r=-0.40, p = .025). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the maternal ANS is involved in the regulation of the fetoplacental barrier to stress. Allostatic processes may have been initiated to counterbalance acute stress effects. In contrast, higher LF/HF baseline values, possibly indicative of chronic stress exposure, may have inhibited 11-HSD2 activity in the fetoplacental unit. These results parallel animal findings of up-regulated placental 11-HSD2 in response to acute stress but impairment under chronic stress. Objective: The maternal autonomic nervous system (ANS) has received little attention in the investigation of biological mechanisms linking prenatal stress to fetal cortisol (F) excess. In vitro, norepinephrine and epinephrine inhibit placental 11A-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11A-HSD2), which protects the fetus from F overexposure by inactivating it to cortisone (E). Here, we investigated the acute ANS stress response to an amniocentesis and its association with amniotic fluid F, E, and E/(E + F) as a marker of fetoplacental 11A-HSD2 activity. Methods: An aliquot of amniotic fluid was obtained from 34 healthy, second-trimester pregnant women undergoing amniocentesis. Repeated assessment of mood states served to examine the psychological stress response to amniocentesis. Saliva samples were collected to measure stress-induced changes in salivary >-amylase concentrations in response to amniocentesis. Cardiac parameters were measured continuously. Results: Undergoing amniocentesis induced significant psychological and autonomic alterations. Low-frequency (LF)/high-frequency (HF) baseline, suggested to reflect sympa...

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

The Acute Autonomic Stress Response and Amniotic Fluid Glucocorticoids in Second-Trimester Pregnant Women

Marca-Ghaemmaghami¹,

Dainese²,

Marca³

et al. 2015

Psychosomatic Medicine

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Direct measurements of salivary adrenaline and noradrenaline seem not to reflect SAM activity (Schwab et al 1992). However, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) appears as a promising marker, as non-invasive and easily obtainable (Nater et al 2005;Granger et al 2007) since Ehlert et al (2006) provided evidence through pharmacological manipulation of the SAM system. In fact, these authors showed that yohimbine administration activates not only autonomic parameters but also sAA via adrenergic mechanisms, suggesting that sAA might be an indirect indicator of the central sympathetic system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global stress response during a social stress test: Impact of alexithymia and its subfactors

Hua

Scanff

Larue

et al. 2014

Psychoneuroendocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Please cite this article as: Hua, J., Le Scanff, C., Larue, J., José, F., Martin, J.-C., Devillers, L., Filaire, E.,Global stress response during a social stress test: impact of alexithymia and its subfactors, Psychoneuroendocrinology (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10. 1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.003 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Page 1 of 35A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t Highlights  We study the association between alexithymia and its subfactors with HPA and SAM activity.  Stress was induced experimentally using a public-speaking paradigm.  The increased HPA activity was related to only one alexithymia subfactor, DIFF.Page 2 Summary:Objectives: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying, describing and communicating one's own emotions. Recent studies have associated specific effects of this trait and its subfactors with hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis markers during stress. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between alexithymia and its subfactors with HPA and sympatho-adrenal medullar (SAM) activity. Stress was induced experimentally using a public-speaking paradigm. Salivary cortisol, Alpha-amylase (AA), chromogranin A (CgA) and heart rate (HR) were collected during the defined periods of baseline, stress, and recovery in 19 males and 24 female healthy university students.Results: Subjects reacted to the stressor with a significant cortisol and SAM response. Subjects scoring high on alexithymia reacted significantly more intensely than low scorers in basal anticipatory as well as peak cortisol and area under the curve. Regression analyses revealed that the increased HPA activity was related to only one alexithymia subfactor, the difficulty in differentiating feelings and distinguishing them from bodily sensations and emotion arousal.Conclusion: Alexithymia and its subfactors were specifically related to cortisol responses. This research should be replicated with more subjects and should take into account more parameters reflecting sympathetic and/or parasympathetic activation, as well as HPA axis. Factors such as coping strategies and the perception of the situation as a challenge have also to be explored.

show abstract

“…Our results show that low morning levels of sAA could have a role as a possible risk factor. To explain these findings, some researchers have speculated that sAA activity could be a potential surrogate marker for the level of noradrenaline in the central nervous system (CNS) (Buchanan, Bilbas, & Adolphs, 2010;Ehlert, Erni, Hebisch, & Nater, 2006;Rohleder, Nater, Wolf, Ehlert, & Kirschbaum, 2004;Sanchez-Navarro et al, 2012;Van Stegeren et al, 2006). Other recent studies have reported that this association between sAA and peripheral noradrenaline is statistically significant when it is measured in healthy subjects confronted by psychosocial laboratory stressors (Ditzen, Ehlert, & Nater, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low levels of morning salivary α-amylase activity predict higher number of depressive symptoms in a community sample of children

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Título: Bajos niveles de actividad alfa-amilasa salivar predicen un número más elevado de síntomas depresivos en una muestra infantil comunitaria. Resumen: Los modelos sobre la etiología de los trastornos depresivos sugieren que el inicio de un episodio depresivo es el resultado de un complejo fenómeno que se basa en la interacción entre la carga genética, factores ambientales críticos tales como eventos vitales estresantes y traumáticos, y el efecto de los cambios neuroendocrinos asociados con la respuesta de estrés. Numerosos estudios han resaltado la utilidad de los niveles matutinos de cortisol (C) como un potencial predictor de episodios depresivos. El objetivo del estudio fue comparar la efectividad del C, de la actividad/secreción de la alfa-amilasa salivar (AAs) y de su ratio para predecir la sintomatología depresiva en una muestra comunitaria de 99 niños con edades entre los 8-11 años. Dos muestras de saliva fueron obtenidas en la mañana en dos días escolares. Los profesores describieron el comportamiento de sus estudiantes usando la escala Teacher's Report Form (TRF). Nuestros resultados indican que, con independencia del género, el mejor predictor de las puntuaciones de depresión/aislamiento y del total de alteraciones internalizadas del TRF fue mostrar bajos niveles de actividad de AAs en la mañana. Por lo tanto, esta medida salivar podría ser usada como un marcador biológico del riesgo para el desarrollo de un primer episodio de depresivo infantil. Palabras clave: Alfa-amilasa; Cortisol; Síntomas Depresivos; Estudio Observacional Descriptivo.Abstract: Models of the etiology of depressive disorders suggest that the onset of a depressive episode is the result of a complex phenomenon based on the interaction between genetic background, critical environmental factors such as life stressors and traumatic events, and the effects of neuroendocrine changes associated with the stress response. Numerous studies have highlighted the usefulness of morning cortisol (C) as a potential predictor of depressive episodes. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of C, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity/output, and the sAA/C ratio in predicting depressive symptoms in a community sample of 99 children aged 8-11 years old. Two saliva samples were obtained in the morning on two different school days. Teachers described their pupils' behavior by using the internalizing problems scales of the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) questionnaire. Our results indicate that, regardless of gender, the best predictor of depressive/withdrawal scores and overall internalizing scores on the TRF was lower mean morning levels of sAA activity. Hence, sAA could be proposed as a biological marker for the risk of developing a first episode of depressive illness in child samples.

show abstract

Salivary α-Amylase Levels after Yohimbine Challenge in Healthy Men

Abstract: The results indicate that yohimbine administration activates not only autonomic parameters but also sAA via adrenergic mechanisms, suggesting that sAA might be an indirect indicator of the central sympathetic system.

Cited by 144 publications

References 13 publications

The Acute Autonomic Stress Response and Amniotic Fluid Glucocorticoids in Second-Trimester Pregnant Women

The Acute Autonomic Stress Response and Amniotic Fluid Glucocorticoids in Second-Trimester Pregnant Women

Global stress response during a social stress test: Impact of alexithymia and its subfactors

Low levels of morning salivary α-amylase activity predict higher number of depressive symptoms in a community sample of children

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About