title: Comparative effects of some ecdysteroid agonists in mealworms: ecdysteroid amounts and protein analysis in developing ovaries under in vivo conditions.
abstract: Some ecdysteroid agonists (RH-0345, RH-5849, RH-5992) were tested topically (10 microg/female) on newly emerged adult females of mealworms under in vivo conditions. In a first series of experiments the compounds were assayed on ovarian ecdysteroid production measured at day 2 and 4 following treatment, corresponding to the beginning and the end of vitellogenesis. All tested compounds resulted in a significant increase in ovarian ecdysteroid amounts. RH-5992 and RH-0345 were more active than RH-5849. In a second series of experiments, the activity of the compounds was investigated on ovarian proteins. The ecdysteroid agonists caused a significant reduction of protein amounts in the ovaries, and electrophoretic separation of ovary extracts from treated series showed that one or two bands were missing. These observations may an interference with the vitellogenesis process.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie Animale, Université de Annaba, 23000 Annaba, Algérie.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boukachabia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Soltani-Mazouni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Smagghe
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Soltani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001565:Benzoates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026461:Ecdysteroids / Q000819:agonists*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D026461:Ecdysteroids; D006834:Hydrazines; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007306:Insecticides; C437546:N-4-chlorobenzoyl-N'-benzoyl-N'-tert-butylhydrazine; C082026:tebufenozide