The effect of the radio-protective agents ethanol, trimethylglycine, and beer on survival of X-ray-sterilized male Aedes aegypti

Abstract

BackgroundSterile Insect Technique (SIT) has been successfully implemented to control, and in some cases, eradicate, dipteran insect populations. SIT has great potential as a mosquito control method. Different sterilization methods have been used on mosquitoes ranging from chemosterilization to genetically modified sterile male mosquito strains; however, sterilization with ionizing radiation is the method of choice for effective sterilization of male insects for most species. The lack of gentle radiation methods has resulted in significant complications when SIT has been applied to mosquitoes. Several studies report that irradiating mosquitoes resulted in a decrease in longevity and mating success compared to unirradiated males.The present study explored new protocols for mosquito sterilization with ionizing radiation that minimized detrimental effects on the longevity of irradiated males.MethodsWe tested three compounds that have been shown to act as radioprotectors in the mouse model system - ethanol, trimethylglycine, and beer. Male Aedes aegypti were treated with one of three chosen potential radioprotectors and were subsequently irradiated with identical doses of long-wavelength X-rays. We evaluated the effect of these radioprotectors on the longevity of male mosquito after irradiation.ResultsWe found that X-ray irradiation with an absorbed dose of 1.17 gy confers complete sterility. Irradiation with this dose significantly shortened the lifespan of male mosquitoes and all three radioprotectors tested significantly enhanced the lifespan of irradiated mosquito males.ConclusionOur results suggest that treatment with ethanol, beer, or trimethylglycine before irradiation can be used to enhance longevity in mosquitoes.

Microbial influences on hormesis, oncogenesis, and therapy: A review of the literature

“…First, it acts as an osmotic regulator controlling osmotic stressors and limiting membrane damage (Bucuvalas et al, 1995). Second, is the fact that trimethylglycine acts as a chemical chaperone that will actually use its methylating groups to repair DNA damage as well as proteins denatured by ROS or radiation (Diamant et al, 2001;Rodriguez et al, 2013;Sharma et al, 2013). These are also the same situations and effects found in bacteria as well.…”

“…The problems associated with the "gold standard" are that they are deficient in data pertaining to the homeostasis of bacteria within each individual, the amount of metabolic pathways available for cellular repair, or even the quantity of radioprotective agents such as iodine, ethanol, and trimethylglycine consumed prior to radiation exposure (Rodriguez et al, 2013). The previously mentioned problems leave too many inconsistencies and unknowns in the data to consider the data representative for evaluation of radiation-induced effects; this is especially true when considering populations of different regions.…”

Blood serum and BSA, but neither red blood cells nor hemoglobin can support vitellogenesis and egg production in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti

“…During the past decades several mosquito control strategies have been developed that require the release of large numbers of mosquitoes grown in culture: 1. Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) requires the production of large quantities of male mosquitoes that are sterilized either by ionizing radiation (Joint 1990;Helinski, Parker et al 2009;Rodriguez, Brar et al 2013) or that are genetically sterile (Alphey 2002;Alphey 2007). 2.…”

The development of new radiation protocols for insect sterilization using long wavelength x-rays

“…implemented these ideas and achieved 100% sterility with a measured absorbed dose of 1.76Gy. The competitiveness of the irradiated mosquitoes was enhanced by introducing a chemical radio-protector which was fed to the mosquitoes prior to irradiation [40] CONCLUDING REMARKS Irradiation of insect species for the control of disease vectors and pests is a technique which has proven quite effective in the past and promises to provide great strides in the future. It carries a high specificity without needing to worry about long term impacts to the ecosystem or what the long term effects involving the introduction of genetic hybrids could impart.…”