Warren Christopher M, van den Brink Ruud L, Nieuwenhuis Sander, Bosch Jos A
Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden 2333 AK, Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RC, Netherlands.
Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden 2333 AK, Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RC, Netherlands.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2017 Apr;78:233-236. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.01.029. Epub 2017 Jan 31.
It has been suggested that central norepinephrine (NE) activity may be inferred from increases in salivary alpha-amylase (SAA), but data in favor of this proposition are limited. We administered 40mg of atomoxetine, a selective NE transporter blocker that increases central NE levels, to 24 healthy adult participants in a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design. Atomoxetine administration significantly increased SAA secretion and concentrations at 75-180min after treatment (more than doubling baseline levels). Consistent with evidence that elevation in central NE is a co-determinant of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, salivary cortisol also approximately doubled at the same time points. Moreover, changes in salivary cortisol positively correlated with SAA (0.44<rho<0.56), bolstering the position that the origin of the changes in SAA reflect central NE. This work points toward the potential value of SAA as an inexpensive and non-invasive procedure to obtain information about activation of the central NE system.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2017-4
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2014-11
Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2024-6
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016-6
J Psychopharmacol. 2007-7
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009-7