Abstract
The aim of this study was to (1) examine the presence of stress on professors when they teach in front of 200 students and analyse objectively such stress using biomarkers such as salivary cortisol, chromogranin A (CgA) and alpha-amylase (AA) (2) investigate whether sex affects the reactivity of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol concentrations and the interaction of both hormonal systems. Fifty-two participants (26 women and 26 men) collected nine unstimulated saliva samples on 2 days, (one working day, and one resting day). Cortisol concentrations and AA activity measured on the teaching day were significantly higher than those noted on the resting values. No differences between the resting day and the teaching day were reported for CgA. Our results showed a cortisol response to teaching, which was characterized by an anticipatory rise. The AA level was significantly increased after the end of the lecture, and returned to the pre-lecture level 30 min after the end of the lecture. The awakening cortisol response noted on the teaching day was significantly higher in females than in males. No baseline sex differences in sAA and CgA were observed and men and women seem to have a comparable reactivity in sAA, CgA and cortisol levels on lecture stress. The mechanisms that leads to modify activity of salivary AA and CgA due to stress is not entirely understood and further research is needed to elucidate them.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al’Absi M, Bongard S, Buchanan T, Pincomb GA, Licinio J, Lovallo WR (1997) Cardiovascular and neuroendocrine adjustment to speaking and mental arithmetic stressors. Psychophysiology 34:266–275. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1997.tb02397.x
Austin V, Shah S, Muncer S (2006) Teacher stress and coping strategies used to reduce stress. Occup Ther Int 12:63–80. doi:10.1002/oti.16
Bassett JR, Marshall PM, Spillane R (1987) The physiological measurement of acute stress (public speaking) in bank employees. Psychophysiology 5:265–273. doi:10.1016/0167-8760(87)90058-4
Bellingrath S, Weigl T, Kudielka BM (2009) Chronic work stress and exhaustion is associated with higher allostatic load in female school teachers. Stress 12(1):37–48. doi:10.1080/10253890802042041
Borgeat G, Chagon G, Legault Y (1984) Comparison of the salivary changes associated with a relaxing and with a stressful procedure. Psychophysiology 21:690–698. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1984.tb00259.x
Bosch JA, Brand HS, Ligtenberg TJ, Bermond B, Hoogstraten J, Nieuw Amerongen AV (1996) Psychological stress as a determinant of protein levels and salivary-induced aggregation of Streptococcus gordoni in human saliva. Psychom Med 58:374–382
Bosch JA, de Geus EJ, Veerman EC, Hoogstaten J, Nieuw Amerongen AV (2003) Innate secretory immunity in response to laboratory stressors that evoke distinct patterns of cardiac autonomic activity. Psychosom Med 65:245–258. doi:10.1097/01.PSY.0000058376.50240.2D
Bosma H, Stansfeld SA, Marmot MG (1998) Job control, personal characteristics, and heart disease. J Occup Health Psychol 3:402–409. doi:10.1037/1076-8998.3.4.402
Chatterton RT, Vogelsong KM, Lu YC, Hudgens GA (1996) Salivary alpha-amylase as a measure of endogenous adrenergic activity. Clin Physiol 16:433–448. doi:10.1111/j.1475-097X.1996.tb00731.x
Chatterton RT, Vogelsong KM, Lu YC, Hudgens GA (1997) Hormonal responses to psychological stress in men preparing for skydiving. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 82:2502–2509. doi:10.1210/jc.82.8.2503
Chrousos GP (1998) Stress as a medical and scientific idea and its implications. Adv Pharmacol 42:552–556. doi:10.1016/S1054-3589(08)60810-8
Clow A, Evans T, Hucklebridge F (2004) The awakening cortisol response: methodological issues and significance. Stress 7:29–37. doi:10.1080/10253890410001667205
Cole AS, Eastao JE (1988) Biochemistry and oral biology, 2nd edn. Wright, London, pp 476–477
Dimsdale JE, O’Connor DT, Ziegler M, Mills P (1992) Chromogranin A correlates with norepinephirine release rate. Life Sci 51:519–525. doi:10.1016/0024-3205(92)90029-O
Fiet J, Passa P, Guechot J, Gourmel B, Villette JM, Cathelineau G (1981) Intérêt du dosage du cortisol dans la salive. Nouv Presse Med 10:2664
Fischera LV, Andreassi JL (2000) Cardiovascular reactivity during public speaking as a function of personality variables. Int J Psychophysiol 37:267–273. doi:10.1016/S0167-8760(00)00106-9
Granger DA, Kivlighan KT, el-Sheikh M, Gordis EB, Stroud LR (2007) Salivary α-Amylase in biobehavioral research. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1098:122–144. doi:10.1196/annals.1384.008
Gröschl M, Rauh M (2006) Influence of commercial collection devices for saliva on the reliability of salivary steroids analysis. Steroids 71:1097–1100. doi:10.1016/j.steroids.2006.09.007
Gruenewald TL, Kemeny ME, Aziz N, Fahey JL (2004) Acute threat to the social self: shame, social self-esteem, and cortisol activity. Psychosom Med 66:915–924. doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000143639.61693.ef
Hansen AM, Garde AH, Christensen JM, Eller NH, Netterstrøm B (2003) Evaluation of a radioimmunoassay and establishment of a reference interval for salivary cortisol in healthy subjects in Denmark. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 63:303–310. doi:10.1080/00365510310001942
Henry JP (1992) Biological basis of the stress response. Integr Physiol Behav Sci 27:66–83. doi:10.1007/BF02691093
Houtman IL, Bakker FC (1987) Stress in student teachers during real and simulated standardized lectures. J Hum Stress 13:180–187
Houtman IL, Bakker FC (1991) Individual differences in reactivity to and coping with the stress of lecturing. J Psychosom Res 35:11–24. doi:10.1016/0022-3999(91)90003-7
Kirschbaum C, Hellhammer DH (1994) Salivary cortisol in psychoneuroendocrine research: recent developments and applications. Psychoneuroendocrinology 19:313–333. doi:10.1016/0306-4530(94)90013-2
Kirschbaum C, Kudielka BM, Gaab J, Schommer NC, Hellhammer DH (1999) Impact of gender, menstrual cycle phase, and oral contraceptives on the activity of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis. Psychosom Med 6:154–162
Kivlighan KT, Granger D (2006) Salivary alpha-amylase response to competition: relation to gender, previous experience, and attitudes. Psychoneuroendocrinology 31:703–714. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2006.01.007
Kudielka BM, Kirschbaum C (2005) Sex differences in HPA axis response to stress: a review. Biol Psychol 69:113–132. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.11.009
Kunz-Ebrecht SR, Kirschbaum C, Marmot M, Steptoe A (2004) Differences in cortisol awakening responses on work days and weekends in women and men from the Whitehall II cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology 29:516–528. doi:10.1016/S0306-4530(03)00072-6
Maes M, Van der Planken A, Van Gastel K, Bruyland F, Van Hunsel F, Neels H (1998) Influence of academic examination stress on hematological measurements in subjectively healthy volunteers. Psychiatry Res 80:201–212. doi:10.1016/S0165-1781(98)00059-6
Miller CS, Dembo JB, Falace DA, Keplan AL (1995) Salivary cortisol response to dental treatment of varying stress. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 79:436–441
Nakane H, Asami O, Yamada Y, Harada T, Matsui N, Kanno T (1998) Salivary chromogranin A as an index of psychosomatic stress response. Biomed Res 18:401–406
Nakane H, Asami O, Yamada Y, Ohira H (2002) Effect of negative air ions on computer operation, anxiety and salivary chromogranin A-like immunoreactivity. Int J Psychophysiol 46:85–89. doi:10.1016/S0167-8760(02)00067-3
Nater UM, Rohleder N, Gaab J, Berger S, Jud A, Kirschbaum C, Ehlert U (2005) Human salivary alpha-amylase reactivity in a psychosocial stress paradigm. Int J Psychophysiol 55:333–342. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2004.09.009
Nater UM, La Marca R, Florin L, Moses A, Langhans W, Koller MM, Ehlert U (2006) Stress-induced changes in human salivary alpha-amylase activity-associations with adrenergic activity. Psychoneuroendocrinology 31:49–58. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2005.05.010
Nater UM, Rohleder N, Schlotz W, Ehlert U, Kirschbaum C (2007) Determinants of the diurnal course of salivary alpha-amylase. Psychoneuroendocrinology 32:392–401. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.02.007
Ng V, Koh D, Mok BYY, Chia SE, Lim LP (2003) Salivary biomarkers associated with academic assessment stress among dental under graduates. J Dent Educ 67:1091–1094
Noto Y, Sato T, Kudo M, Kurata K, Hirota K (2005) The relationship between salivary biomarkers and State Trait anxiety inventory score under mental arithmetic stress: a pilot study. Anesth Analg 101:1873–1876. doi:10.1213/01.ANE.0000184196.60838.8D
Pruessner JC, Kirschbaum C, Meinlschmid G, Hellhammer DH (2003) Two formulas for computation of the area under the curve represent measures of total hormone concentration versus time-dependent change. Psychoneuroendocrinology 28:916–931. doi:10.1016/S0306-4530(02)00108-7
Ritvanen T, Louhevaara V, Helin P, Väisänen S, Hänninen O (2006) Responses of the autonomic nervous system during periods of perceived high and low work stress in younger and older female teachers. Appl Ergon 37:311–318. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2005.06.013
Rozanski A, Blumenthal JA, Davidson KW, Saab PG, Kubzansky L (2005) The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of psychosocial risk factors in cardiac practice: the emerging field of behavioral cardioloy. J Am Coll Cardiol 45:637–651. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2004.12.005
Saruta J, Tsukinoki K, Sasaguri K, Ishii H, Yasuda M, Osamura YR, Watanabe Y, Sato S (2005) Expression and localization of chromogranin A, purification and characterization from catecholamine storage vesicles of human pheochromocytoma. Hypertension 6:2–12
Schwab KO, Heubel G, Bartels H (1992) Free epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine in saliva and plasma of healthy adults. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 30:541–544
Selye H (1978) The stress of life. McGraw-Hill, New York
Siegrist J (2002) Reducing social inequalities in health: work-related strategies. Scand J Public Health Suppl 59:49–53
Takai N, Yamaquchi M, Aragaki T, Eto K, Uchihashi K, Nishikawa Y (2004) Gender-specific differences in salivary biomarker responses to acute psychological stress. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1098:510–515. doi:10.1196/annals.1384.014
Taupenot L, Harper KL, O’Connor DT (2003) The chromogranin-secretogranin family. N Engl J Med 348:1134–1149. doi:10.1056/NEJMra021405
Toda M, Kusakabe S, Nagasawa S, Kitamura K, Morimoto K (2007) Effect of laughter on salivary endocrinological stress marker chromogranin. Biomed Res 20:115–118. doi:10.2220/biomedres.28.115
Van Stegeren AH, Wolf O, Kindt M (2008) Salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol responses to different tasks: impact of sex. Int J Psychophysiol 69:33–40. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.02.008
Vedhara K, Cox NKM, Wilcox GK, Perks P, Hunt M, Anderson S, Lightman SL, Shanks NM (1999) Chronic stress in elderly care of dementia patients and antibody response to influenza vaccination. Lancet 353:627–631. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(98)06098-X
Walsh NP, Blannin AK, Clark AM, Cook L, Robson PJ, Gleeson M (1999) The effects of high intensity intermittent exercise on saliva IgA, total protein and alpha-amylase. J Sports Sci 17:129–134. doi:10.1080/026404199366226
Weber A, Weltle D, Lederer P (2002) Zur problematik krankenheitsbedingter Frühpensionierungen von Gymnasiallehrkräften. Versicherungsmedizin 54:75–83
Weekes NY, Lewis RS, Goto SG, Garrison-Jakel J, Patel F, Lupien S (2008) The effect of an environmental stressor on gender differences on the awakening cortisol response. Psychoneuroendocrinology 33:766–772. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.03.003
Zakowski JJ, Bruns DE (1985) Biochemistry of human alpha-amylase isoenzymes. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 21:283–322
Ziegler DR, Cass WA, Herman JP (1999) Excitatory influence of the locus coeruleus in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis responses to stress. J Neuroendocrinol 11:361–369. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2826.1999.00337.x
Zurlo MC, Pes D, Cooper CL (2007) Stress in teaching: a study of occupational stress and its determinants among Italian Schoolteachers. Stress Health 23:231–241. doi:10.1002/smi.1141
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Filaire, E., Dreux, B., Massart, A. et al. Salivary alpha-amylase, cortisol and chromogranin A responses to a lecture: impact of sex. Eur J Appl Physiol 106, 71–77 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-0991-z
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-0991-z