Salivary vasodilators of Aedes triseriatus and Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Salivary vasodilators of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Anopheles albimanus (Wiedemann) were characterized previously as a tachykinin peptide and a catechol oxidase/peroxidase activity, respectively. To verify whether these two different vasodilators also were found in other distantly related members of each mosquito genus, we characterized the vasodilators from A. triseriatus and A. gambiae. A. triseriatus salivary gland homogenates produced a reversible, endothelium dependent vasorelaxation of rabbit aortic rings constricted with norepinephrine, and contracted an isolated guinea pig ileum preparation. Additionally, the homogenate had no activity on both smooth muscle preparations when both tissues were desensitized previously by a large dose of substance P. Taken together, these assays suggest the presence of a salivary tachykinin in A. triseriatus. A. gambiae salivary gland homogenates induced a slow vasodilation on both endothelium intact and endotheliumless preparations of aortic rings. A. gambiae homogenates also displayed catechol oxidase and peroxidase activity against o-dianisidine but not against serotonin, indicating the presence of an enzyme system slightly different from A. albimanus. We conclude that the presence of salivary tachykinins or catechol/oxidase is not unique to A. aegypti or A. albimanus.