Effects of hypocholesterolaemic agents on the expression and activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase in the fat body of the German cockroach

In the fat body of adult Blattella germanica females, the expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) during the first reproductive cycle is parallel to that of vitellogenin, suggesting a functional link between the mevalonate pathway, and vitellogenesis and reproduction. We have studied the effects of compactin and fluvastatin, two inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, on the expression and activity of the enzyme in the fat body, and on the ootheca formation, ootheca viability, and number of larvae per viable ootheca. Short-term assays showed that both compounds reduce the protein levels and enzymatic activity of HMG-CoA reductase, and long-term experiments revealed that fluvastatin impairs embryo development.