The effect of p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane on levels of guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate and adenosine 3′,5′-cyciie monophosphate in two species of insects

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Abstract
Within 1 h after topical application of a convulsive dose (4 .mu.g/fly, 47 mg/kg) of DDT to adult male of Sarcophaga bullata Parker, cyclic[c]GMP levels rose by 71.5% (P < 0.05) in the head, 159.5% (P < 0.01) in the thorax, and 23.4% (P > 0.05) in the abdomen compared to controls. cAMP levels were not significantly affected by the DDT treatment. A convulsive dose (100 .mu.g/larva, 250 mg/kg) of DDT applied to larvae of Mamestra configurata Wlk. caused the whole body level of cGMP to rise by 81.6% (P < 0.01) after 1 h, and by 95.9% (P < 0.01) after 3 h. Levels of cAMP were not affected. An abnormally high rate of discharge of acetylcholine (and in the later stages of poisoning, its actual accumulation) at central cholinergic synapses probably causes cGMP levels to rise, perhaps in post-synaptic cells. The elevated cGMP/cAMP ratio in DDT-poisoned insects may be of fundamental importance in the complex sequence of events leading to tremor, hyperexcitability, paralysis and death.

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