Short‐term nutrient deprivation affects immune function

Abstract

Abstract. Measurement of insect immune effector system function aimed at identifying costs has largely been stimulated by the ideas of Hamilton & Zuk (1982), who proposed that choosy females may derive some genetic benefit from selecting parasite-resistant males. Field studies of such systems assume that most variation in measured immune traits is affected strongly by genes and pay little attention subsequently to the role of nutritional status in determining the magnitude of assayed immune effector systems. In this paper the effects of nutrient deprivation on immune function are measured in the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor L.) reared in otherwise ideal conditions. The results suggest that immune effector system function is down-regulated during short-term nutritional deprivation, but is rapidly up-regulated to pre-deprivation levels after animals are allowed access to food. This rapid modulation of immune function in the context of nutritional status has important implications for measuring immune function in the field, as well as the interpretation of those measures.

Effect of Cadmium and Lead Exposure on Tissue Specific Antioxidant Response in Spodoptera litura

“…37 The underlying mechanisms involved in the regulation of the enzymes activities in animals after exposure to different doses of heavy metals in several studies have been undertaken to explain the causes of in the enzymes activity induced by pollutants in many invertebrates. 38 Our study was concerned with the measurements of toxicity and antioxidant enzymes activity S. litura larvae against Cd and Pb heavy metals exposure. Our results showing CAT activity of metal treated fat body tissues shows significantly increased at Cd 0.50 mg and Pb 4.8 mg.…”

Integrating nutrition and immunology: A new frontier

“…(Ayres and Schneider, 2009;Siva-Jothy and Thompson, 2002)). For example, short-term starvation resulted in decreased phenoloxidase activity in adult mealworm beetles (Siva-Jothy and Thompson, 2002) and increase mortality in Rhodnius prolixus bugs when challenged by bacteria (Feder et al, 1997). Nutrition not only affects host resistance to infection but also host tolerance.…”

Immune function responds to selection for cuticular colour in Tenebrio molitor

“…However, this change is almost certainly due to effects in the tan lines: there was a significant difference between PO pre and PO post in tan lines, but not in black lines. Black beetles therefore maintain a higher PO pre than tan beetles, suggesting that black beetles maintain a prophylactic level of PO pre , a potentially costly strategy (see Siva-Jothy and Thompson, 2002). Indeed, Kumar et al (2003) found that Anopheles gambiae genetically selected to be refractory to Plasmodium melanise and encapsulate this parasite, concurrent with being in a chronic state of oxidative stress when compared to susceptible A. gambiae strains.…”