title: Effects of cadmium on protocerebral neurosecretory neurons and fitness components in Lymantria dispar L.
abstract: Changes in fitness components including larval stage duration, relative growth rate (RGR), and mass of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), were investigated in caterpillars fed a synthetic diet with or without a cadmium supplement (10, 30, 100, 250 microg Cd/g dry food weight). Morphometric changes of large protocerebral dorsomedial A2 neurosecretor neurons, their nuclei and the electrophoresis profiles of brain proteins were analyzed in the 4 instar gypsy moths fed the examined diets. The duration of the fourth larval instars were prolonged and RGR and body mass reduced if the caterpillars were fed diets containing high concentrations of cadmium (100 and 250 microg). The size of large A2 dorsomedial neurosecretory neurons and their nuclei were significantly higher in larvae fed the diets supplemented with 10, 100 and 250 microg Cd. A large amount of neurosecretory material appeared in dorsomedial neurosecretory neurons in larvae fed diets with 100 and 250 microg Cd. Differences in larval brain protein profiles in the region of molecular mass ranges (Mr) of 98 kDa, 46 kDa and 3.4-6.1 kDa were identified in the experimental groups.
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Institute for Biological Research Sinisa Stanković, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ilijin
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perić-Mataruga
authors.forename: Ratko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radojicić
authors.forename: Jelica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lazarević
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nenadović
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlahović
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mrdaković
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D009036:Moths / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium