Effect of Nandrolone Decanoate on the Development of Three Species of Chrysomya (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Flies of Forensic Importance in Brazil

Autor(es)

Souza, C. M. ^[1] ; Thyssen, P. J. ^[1] ; Linhares, A. X. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Journal of Medical Entomology; v. 48, n. 1, p. 111-117, JAN 2011.
• Citações Web of Science: 5

Resumo

Necrophagous insects are valuable tools for postmortem interval (PMI) estimation or for determining the cause of death. Due to the increase in deaths related to drug abuse, it is crucial to know how these substances affect the development of flies that feed on corpses, to avoid errors in the PMI estimates. This study evaluated the effect of nandrolone decanoate, an anabolic androgenic steroid, on the development of immatures of Chrysomya megacephala (F.), Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann), and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) when added to an artificial rearing diet. Four experimental groups were delineated: three of them were given diets containing 4.5, 22.5, or 45 mg/kg nandrolone decanoate; and a drug-free control group. Weights were recorded at 12-h intervals from larval eclosion to pupation. No statistically significant differences were observed in mean larval weights, emergence interval, or emergence rates for all groups. However, differences in the three species were observed during the larval development. Initially, C. putoria reared in the highest concentration of decanoate showed greater weight gain. However, at older ages, immatures reached lower mean weights than the control group. For C. albiceps, the highest concentration of decanoate contributed to an effective lack of weight gain during almost the entire course of larval development. Therefore, the influence of any drug on development should always be considered. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 04/08544-0 - Entomologia forense: a utilização de artrópodes para a determinação do tempo, local, causa e circunstância da morte
• Beneficiário: Arício Xavier Linhares
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático