Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T06:11:36.413Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Physiological Action of Drugs and Insecticides on Insects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Mohan Babu Naidu
Mohan Babu Naidu
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The action of certain drugs and insecticides on the frequency of the beat of the isolated cockroach heart, immersed in an aerated physiological solution at 29°C., have been studied. The frequency of the heart-beat is counted by eye and the drugs applied in the physiological solution. Acetylcholine at a concentration of 5 × 10-8 to 10-5 causes a sustained acceleration of the heart-beat which is blocked by atropine (5 × 10-5) and is unaltered by hexamethonium (5 × 10-5), prolonged exposure to nicotine (5 × 1O-5) or ergotamine (3 × 10-6). In this range of concentration ACH has a “muscarine-like” action.

Adrenaline (3 × 10-6 to 5 × 10-8) also causes an acceleration of the heart-beat, which soon passes off. Nor-adrenaline has the same action. Nicotine, hexamethonium or atropine do not modify the action of adrenaline, but ergotamine antagonises it.

Nicotine (5 × 10-5 produces an acceleration of the heart-beat which declines with prolonged exposure until ultimately no effect is produced on reapplieation, but recovery occurs with sufficient washing. Hexamethonium antagonises the effects of low concentration of nicotine. It is concluded that nicotine acts on the cardiac ganglia. Since atropine substantially reduces the action of nicotine, it is suggested that the ganglia excited may be chiefly cholinergic.

ACH in high concentration (10-3) in the presence of atropine (5 × 10-5) has a stimulant effect which is abolished by nicotine. It is inferred that under these conditions, ACH is stimulating ganglia which may be adrenergic.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 46 , Issue 1 , April 1955 , pp. 205 - 220
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1955

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aldridge, W. N. & Barnes, J. M. (1952). Some problems in assessing the toxicity of the “organo-phosphorus” insecticides towards mammals.—Nature, Lond., 169, p. 345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexandeowicz, J. S. (1926). The innervation of the heart of the cockroach (Periplaneta orientalis).—J. comp. Neurol., 41, p. 291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ambrose, A. M. & Haag, H. B. (1938). Chronic toxicity of derris.—Industr. Engng Chem., 30, p. 592.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, A. W. A. (1951). Insect control by chemicals, p. 325.—New York, Wiley; London, Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Chadwick, L. E. & Hill, D. L.. (1947). Inhibition of cholinesterase by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, physostigmine and hexaethyl tetraphosphate in the roach.—J. Neurophysiol., 10, p. 235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dale, H. H. (1914). The action of certain esters and ethers of choline and their relation to muscarine.—J. Pharmacol., 6, p. 147.Google Scholar
Davenport, D.. (1949). Studies in the pharmacology of the heart of the Orthopteron Stenopelmatus.—Physiol. Zool., 22, p. 35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diggle, W. M. & Gage, J. C. (1951). Cholinesterase inhibition by parathion in vivo.—Nature, Lond., 168, p. 998.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elliott, T. R. (1905). The action of adrenalin.—J. Physiol., 32, p. 401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellis, C. H., Thienes, C. H. & Wiersma, C. A. G. (1942). The influence of certain drugs on the crustacean nerve-muscle system.—Biol. Bull., 83, p. 334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grob, D. (1950). Pharmacology and toxicology of certain organic phosphorus insecticides. Toxicology.—J. Amer. med. Ass., 144, p. 105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamilton, H. L. (1939). The action of acetylcholine, atropine and nicotine on the heart of the grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis).—J. cell. comp. Physiol., 13, p. 91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hopf, H. S. (1952). Studies in the mode of action of insecticides. I. Injection experiments on the role of cholinesterase inhibition.—Ann. appl. Biol., 39, p. 193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Imms, A. D. (1948). A general text book of entomology.—7th edn., 727 pp. London, Methuen.Google Scholar
Krijgsman, B. J., Dresden, D. & Berger, N. E. (1950). The action of rotenone and tetraethyl pyrophosphateon the isolated heart of the cockroach.—Bull. ent. Res., 41, p. 141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krijgsman, B. J. & Krijgsman-berger, N. E. (1951). Physiological investigations into the heart function of arthropods. The heart of Periplaneta americana.—Bull. ent. Res., 42, p. 143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langley, J. M. (1901). On the stimulation and paralysis of nerve cells and of nerve endings. Part I.—J. Physiol., 27, p. 224.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lord, K. A. & Potter, C. (1951). Studies on the mechanism of insecticidal action of organo-phosphorus compounds with particular reference to their anti-esterase activity.—Ann. appl. Biol., 38, p. 495.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowenstein, O. (1942). A method of physiological assay of pyrethrum extracts.—Nature, Lond., 150, p. 760.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McIndoo, N. E. & Smithson, N. E. (1945). Innervation of insect hearts.—J. comp. Neurol., 83, p. 141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marrazzi, A. S. (1939). Electrical studies on pharmacology of autonomic synapses; action of sympathomimetic drug (epinephrine) on sympathetic ganglia.—J. Pharmacol., 65, p. 395.Google Scholar
Means, O. W. jr. (1942). Cholinesterase activity of tissues of adult Melanoplus differentialis (Orthoptera, Acrididae).—J. cell. comp. Physiol., 20, p. 319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orser, W. B. & Brown, A. W. A. (1951). The effect of insecticides on the heartbeat of Periplaneta.—Canad. J. Zool., 29, p. 54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Payton, J. (1953). “Parathion” and ultra-violet light.—Nature, Lond., 171, p. 355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pringle, J. W. S. (1938). Proprioception in insects. I. A new type of mechanical receptor from the palps of the cockroach.—J. exp. Biol., 15, p. 101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prosser, C. L. (1940). Action potentials in the nervous system of the crayfish. Effects of drugs and salts upon synaptic transmission.—J. cell. comp. Physiol., 16, p. 25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prosser, C. L. (1942). An analysis of the action of acetylcholine on hearts, particularlyin Arthropods.—Biol. Bull., 83, p. 145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, A. G. jr., & Cutkomp, L. K. (1945). The cholinesterase of insect nerves.—J. cell. comp. Physiol., 26, p. 57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roeder, K. D. & Roeder, S. (1939). Electrical activity in the isolated ventral nerve cord of the cockroach, I.—J. cell. comp. Physiol., 14, p. 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tischler, N. (1935). Studies on how derris kills insects.—J. econ. Ent., 28, p. 215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tobias, J. M., Kollros, J. J. & Savit, J. (1946). Acetylcholine and related substances in the cockroach, fly and crayfish and the effect of DDT.—J. cell. comp. Physiol., 28, p. 159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed