Heat shock induced significant increase of the SOD and CAT activities in silkworm of various ages, such as at 40 degrees C the induced SOD activity was maximal, where both the activities of CuZn-SOD and MnSOD were also increased. After exposure at 36 degrees C for 1 h, GSH-Px activity was decreased, but it was increased at 40 degrees C. Among the different regions of silkworm, the activities of SOD and CAT have great diversities in the order of priorities: thoracicoabdominal region, head region, posterior silkgland. Heat shock also had different influences on the activities of the antioxidativ...