Alpha-Amylase Activity in Blood Increases after Pharmacological, But Not Psychological, Activation of the Adrenergic System.

Background & Aim: Alpha-amylase in both blood and saliva has been used as a diagnostic parameter. While studies examining alpha-amylase activity in saliva have shown that it is sensitive to physiological and psychological challenge of the adrenergic system, no challenge studies have attempted to elucidate the role of the adrenergic system in alpha-amylase activity in blood. We set out to examine the impact of psychological and pharmacological challenge on alpha-amylase in blood in two separate studies.

Psychobiological effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure in 10-year-old-children.

Background: Prenatal stress seems to have long-lasting effects on biological and psychological processes of the offspring. However, to date, there have been no studies investigating the effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure on psychological, endocrine, and autonomic responses to a standardized psychosocial stress test in children.

Methods: A sample of 115 healthy, 10-year-old children was examined.

Salivary alpha-amylase levels after yohimbine challenge in healthy men.

Context: We and others have previously shown that standardized psychosocial stress significantly increases salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), but it remains unclear whether sAA reflects autonomic nervous system activation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess cardiovascular effects and sAA and catecholamine secretion after iv injection of yohimbine.

Design And Setting: We conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study at an academic research unit.