Evaluation of the ecdysteroid agonist RH-0345 in mealworms: analysis of ovarian proteins and structure of follicle
1999
Soltani, N. | Amrani, N. | Soltani-Mazouni, N. (Universite d'Annaba (Algeria). Dept. de biologie animale) | Smagghe, G.
RH-0345, a new agonist of ecdysteroids belonging to benzoylhydrazines class, was applied topically at two doses (5 and 10 microg) to 0- or 2-day old adult females of Tenebrio molitor. Since the follicular cells are the site of biosynthesis of ecdysteroids and proteins, the effects of RH-0345 were examined on both amounts and pattern of proteins of developping ovaries and the fine structure of basal follicle, respectively. Data from biochemical analyses revealed that RH-0345 applied topically, on newly emerged or 2-day old females, had no significant effect on the ovarian amounts of proteins recorded during the sexual maturation. Electrophoretic separation of ovarian proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide slab gels indicated that the compound affected slightly the ovarian protein pattern only when applied at the highest dose (10 microg) either at the adult emergence or at the beginning of vitellogenesis process. In addition, ultrastructural observations of ovaries at the end of vitellogenesis process revealed that this compound had no evident effect on the fine structure of both follicular cells and oocytes. However, it caused a significant reduction in the thickness of follicular epithelium with the two tested doses when applied topically on newly emerged females. From these experiments performed in vivo on T. molitor adult females, it may be concluded that RH-0345 affected only the thickness of follicular epithelium, a tissue producing ecdysteroids and proteins, suggesting a reduction of its synthetic capacity.
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