Insect juvenile hormones: Induction of detoxifying enzymes in the housefly and detoxication by housefly enzymes

The cecropia juvenile hormone and three of its analogs were compared as inducers of microsomal epoxidase, O-demethylase, and DDT dehydrochlorinase in the housefly, Musca domestica L. The compounds were the cecropia juvenile hormone, methoprene, hydroprene, 6,7-epoxy-3,7-diethyl-1-3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenoxy]-2-octene, and piperonyl butoxide, a well known insecticide synergist. The compounds were administered by feeding at levels up to 1% in the diet for 3 days to 1-day-old female adults. Enzymes were then prepared and assayed for their activity using heptachlor, p-nitroanisole, and DDT as substrates.There was approximately a twofold increase in the microsomal oxidases and a 50% increase in DDT dehydrochlorinase after the treatment with the cecropia juvenile hormone, while methoprene had some activity as an inducer of the epoxidase (30% increase) but no activity in the case of the O-demethylase or the dehydrochlorinase. Hydroprene had no effect on any of the enzyme systems, while 6,7-epoxy-3,7-diethyl-1-3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenoxy]-2-octene was an inhibitor of the two microsomal oxidases. The latter compound and piperonyl butoxide were strong inducers of DDT dehydrochlorinase, causing approximately twofold increases in the activity of this enzyme.There was evidence that the microsomal preparations were able to metabolize and inactivate methoprene and hydroprene, the action being oxidative in the case of methoprene and both oxidative and hydrolytic in the case of hydroprene. The oxidative metabolism of the two juvenile hormone analogs by the microsomal preparations was inducible by the cecropia juvenile hormone and by phenobarbital and dieldrin.