BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that stress and emotional reactions can affect immune responses in animals and humans. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate hematological and immunological effects of stress on air traffic controllers. METHODS: Thirty air traffic controllers and 15 aeronautical information service operators were evaluated. The groups were divided as information service operators with 10 years or more of experience (AIS>10) and with less than 10 years in the profession (AIS<10) and air traffic controllers with 10 years or more of experience (ATCo>10) and with less than 10 years in the profession (ATCo<10). Blood samples were drawn at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The paired t-test was used to compare monocyte and nitric oxide concentrations and ANOVA was used for the other parameters. RESULTS: The ATCo>10 group presented a significantly lower phagocytosis rate of monocytes at 2:00 p.m. compared to 8:00 a.m. Moreover, the ATCo>10 group presented lower hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, platelet and leukocyte levels, and increased cortisol concentrations at 8:00 a.m. compared to the other groups. Additionally, this group had lower phagocytosis rate of monocytes, and hemoglobin, platelet, leukocyte, basophils and nitric oxide levels at 2:00 p.m. compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: Stress seems to greatly affect immune responses of air traffic controllers with more than ten years of experience.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a ansiedade e a atividade locomotora (AL) em 52 ratos Wistar adultos machos, sendo 26 tratados no período neonatal com fluoxetina (10 mg/Kg - sc) e no 90º dia, receberam estímulos elétricos nas patas (1,6-mA-2-s). A ansiedade e a AL foram avaliadas por meio do labirinto elevado em cruz. O tempo de permanência dos animais nos braços abertos (BA) foi utilizado como índice de ansiedade e a AL medida pelo número de entradas nos braços fechados (NEBF) e pelo total de entradas (TE) nos BA e BF. O teste t foi utilizado, com (p<0,05) e os dados apresentados em média±erro padrão. Os animais tratados reduziram o NEBF (2,35±0,33) e o TE (3,96±0,61) comparados a seus controles (4,65±0,52) e (6,96±0,94). A administração neonatal de fluoxetina não alterou a ansiedade, mas diminuiu a AL dos animais que receberam EE.

The objective of this study was evaluate the anxiety and locomotor activity (LA) in 52 Wistar adult male rats, being 26 treated with fluoxetine (10 mg/Kg - sc) in the neonatal period. These same rats received foot shock (FS) (1.6-mA - 2-s) in the 90th day. The anxiety and LA were appraised by plus-maze. The time spent in the open arms was used as anxiety index and the LA was measured by number of entries in closed arms (NECA) and the total of entries (TE). T-test was used with p<0.05 and expresses data in mean±SEM. There were reductions with the fluoxetine group in the NECA (2.35±0.33) and in the TE (3.96±0.61) compared to the controls (4.65±0.52) and (6.96±0.94). The neonatal administration of fluoxetine did not alter the anxiety, but reduced the LA in the animals that received FS.