Activities of some microsomal enzymes of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor (Linné) : II. Influence of larval weight on basal levels, inducibility, and lindane toxicity with and without aldrin pretreatment

Abstract

The effect of larval body weight in the range 0.07 to 0.25 g on basal activity levels and inducibility were studied in microsomal enzymes from yellow mealworm carcass (soft tissue without gut). The lindane toxicity and the effect of aldrin pretreatment on lindane toxicity were studied in three different weight groups. 1. The basal levels of several mixed function oxidase activities decreased with increasing sample mean body weight. 2. The aldrin induction potential of cytochrome P-450 content and aldrin epoxidase activity was inversely related to the sample mean body weight. The larvae with a lower body weight contained a higher microsomal induction potential than larvae with a higher sample mean body weight. 3. Lindane toxicity was independent of the sample mean body weight. 4. Pretreatment with aldrin resulted in an increased lindane mortality in larvae with sample mean body weight of 0.09 g and a decreased lindane toxicity in larvae with sample mean body weight of 0.23 g to the corresponding controls.