The role of insect adipokinetic hormones in oxidative stress

• Main Author: VEČEŘA, Josef
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: Czech
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-85074

In this work, the role of adipokinetic hormones (AKHs) in specific pathological conditions known as oxidative stress (OS) was evaluated in insects. A previous suggestion that the AKHs reverse the OS status elicited by the herbicide paraquat was confirmed using other OS elicitor insecticides malathion and endosulfan in the classical model species the firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus. Nevertheless, the main part of this work is focused on another insect model a herbivore Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera), where the OS was elicited by tannic acid and where the impact of both OS and AKH treatment was evaluated in larval midgut tissue. Several markers of OS including activities of antioxidant enzymes, their gene expression, protein carbonyls and reduced glutathione level were measured. The results confirm the active role of AKH in activation of antioxidative defence reactions and suggest a pathway partially through which the antioxidant effects of AKHs could be realized.