[Effects of prolonged work on "deep-sea" fishermen: influence of blood cortisol, prolactinemia and urinary catecholamines].

Abstract

Effects of persistent overwork on the deep-sea fishermen: influence on serum cortisol and prolactin, and on urinary catecholamine levels. Variations in serum prolactin and cortisol levels and in urinary catecholamines levels were studied in fishermen exposed to a persistent overwork period of deep-sea fishing. Results indicate that prolactin was rapidly modified. In fact, the serum prolactin levels already increased on the first day and maximum levels were observed on the fifth day. On the contrary, the physiological rise and fall in the serum levels of cortisol were scarcely influenced on the first day while on the fifth day increased in the morning and fell in the evening in a very significant manner. No significant variation in urinary catecholamine levels was observed at the end of fifth day. These results suggest that, unlike for prolactin, the effects of stress on serum levels of cortisol are complex and, under our conditions, could be due, at least in part, to the duration of the stress and to the functional moment of pituitary-adrenal axis.