DNA damage, salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive parameters in a nursing team.

In a cross-sectional study of women in a nursing team at a university hospital in southern Brazil, we studied DNA damage, salivary cortisol levels, and cognition. DNA damage was measured in blood leukocytes with the comet assay and the micronucleus test. Salivary cortisol levels were determined upon waking, 30 min later, and at bedtime. Cognition was evaluated according to the Stroop, Digit span and Word span tests. Cortisol levels on waking up were associated negatively with the number of years the employee worked at the institution and positively with the DNA damage in comet assay. Cognitive scores were lower when the cortisol levels were low at awakening and high at bedtime; and were associated positively with educational level. Cortisol status may influence overall health as well as essential work skills, such as attention.

Relationship between psychosocial stress dimensions and salivary cortisol in military police officers.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the relationship between psychosocial stress dimensions and salivary cortisol in military police officers. METHOD: cross-sectional and analytical study with 134 military police officers. The Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model scale has been used to assess psychosocial stress. Salivary cortisol was collected in three samples. The following tests were used: Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, Bonferroni, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn. Pearson and Spearman correlation methods were used, as well as multiple linear regression. Cortisol at night showed an ascending statistical association with the psychosocial reward (p=0.004) and a descending association with the effort-impairment scores (p=0.017). Being part of the Special Tactical Operations Group (GATE) and the diastolic blood pressure explained 13.5% of the variation in cortisol levels on waking up. The sectors GATE, Special Patrol of the Elite Squad of the Military Police and Motorcyclists explained 21.9% of the variation in cortisol levels 30-minute after awakening. The variables GATE sector and Effort Dimension explained 27.7% of the variation in cortisol levels at night. CONCLUSION: it was evidenced that salivary cortisol variation was influenced by individual, labor and psychosocial variables.

Relationship between psychosocial stress dimensions and salivary cortisol in military police officers / Relación entre las dimensiones del estrés psicosocial y el cortisol en la saliva de policías militares / Relação entre as dimensões do estresse psicossocial e o cortisol salivar em policiais militares

Abstract Objective: to analyze the relationship between psychosocial stress dimensions and salivary cortisol in military police officers. Method: cross-sectional and analytical study with 134 military police officers. The Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model scale has been used to assess psychosocial stress. Salivary cortisol was collected in three samples. The following tests were used: Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, Bonferroni, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn. Pearson and Spearman correlation methods were used, as well as multiple linear regression. Cortisol at night showed an ascending statistical association with the psychosocial reward (p=0.004) and a descending association with the effort-impairment scores (p=0.017). Being part of the Special Tactical Operations Group (GATE) and the diastolic blood pressure explained 13.5% of the variation in cortisol levels on waking up. The sectors GATE, Special Patrol of the Elite Squad of the Military Police and Motorcyclists explained 21.9% of the variation in cortisol levels 30-minute after awakening. The variables GATE sector and Effort Dimension explained 27.7% of the variation in cortisol levels at night. Conclusion: it was evidenced that salivary cortisol variation was influenced by individual, labor and psychosocial variables.

Resumen Objetivo: analizar la relación entre las dimensiones del estrés psicosocial y el cortisol en la saliva en policías militares. Método: estudio transversal y analítico con 134 policías militares. La escala del Modelo Desequilibrio Esfuerzo-Recompensa (DER) evaluó el estrés psicosocial. El cortisol en la saliva fue recolectado en tres muestras. Fueron utilizados las pruebas: t de Student, Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, Bonferroni, Kruskal-Wallis y Dunn. Se hicieron correlaciones de Pearson y de Spearman, así como regresión linear múltiple. El cortisol noche presentó asociación estadística ascendente con la recompensa psicosocial (p=0,004) y descendente con los puntajes de esfuerzo-comprometimiento (p=0,017). Pertenecer al Grupo de Operaciones Tácticas Especiales (GATE) y la presión arterial diastólica explicaron 13,5% de la variabilidad del cortisol al despertar; los sectores GATE, Patrulla Especial de la Tropa de Elite de la Policía Militar y Motociclistas explicaron 21,9% de la variabilidad del cortisol de 30 minutos después de despertar; y las variables sector GATE y la Dimensión Esfuerzo explicaron la variabilidad del cortisol noche en 27,7%. Conclusión: se evidenció que la variación del cortisol en la saliva fue influenciada por variables individuales, laborales y psicosociales.

Resumo Objetivo: analisar a relação entre as dimensões do estresse psicossocial e o cortisol salivar em policiais militares. Método: estudo transversal e analítico com 134 policiais militares. A escala do Modelo Desequilíbrio Esforço-Recompensa (DER) avaliou o estresse psicossocial. O cortisol salivar foi coletado em três amostras. Foram utilizados os testes: t de Student, Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, Bonferroni, Kruskal-Wallis e Dunn. Fez-se correlações de Pearson e de Spearman, bem como regressão linear múltipla. O cortisol noite apresentou associação estatística ascendente com a recompensa psicossocial (p=0,004) e descendente com os escores de esforço-comprometimento (p=0,017). Pertencer ao Grupo de Operações Táticas Especiais (GATE) e pressão arterial diastólica explicaram 13,5% da variabilidade do cortisol ao acordar; os setores GATE, Patrulha Especial da Tropa de Elite da Polícia Militar e Motociclistas explicaram 21,9% da variabilidade do cortisol de 30 minutos após acordar; e as variáveis setor GATE e a Dimensão Esforço explicaram a variabilidade do cortisol noite em 27,7%. Conclusão: evidenciou-se que a variação do cortisol salivar foi influenciada por variáveis individuais, laborais e psicossociais.

Glucocorticoid-mediated effects of systemic oxytocin upon memory retrieval.

During the last decade, a considerable amount of evidence has accumulated to show that oxytocin (OT) is involved with functions other than its classical roles in reproduction-associated processes, such as social recognition, maternal behavior and neuroendocrine regulation of the stress response. It has been shown, for instance, that post-training systemic administration of oxytocin in mice produces an amnestic effect on the step-through inhibitory avoidance. Since it is still unclear how systemic levels of OT may affect CNS memory processes, our aim here was to investigate the hypothesis that systemic OT effects on memory retrieval might be mediated through an oxytocin-induced decrease in glucocorticoid release. In our first experiment, we have found an amnestic effect of i.p. pre-test 0.4 microg/kg of OT upon memory retrieval in the inhibitory avoidance task (IA); this OT dose was shown to (a) significantly decrease plasma corticosterone levels when compared to the saline group, and (b) not to cause any anxiety effects by itself in a plus-maze task. At last, an ineffective-by-itself dose of dexamethasone was able to reverse the amnestic effect of this OT dose. Our results suggest that the amnestic effect of systemically administered oxytocin upon memory retrieval in the inhibitory avoidance task was probably caused by an oxytocin-induced decrease in glucocorticoid release from the adrenal gland.