published_or_final_version / abstract / Orthopaedics and Traumatology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Physiology / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Surgery / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Anatomy / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Biological Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Biological Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Anatomy / Master / Master of Philosophy

Cyclophosphamide (CY) was injected intraperitoneally into mice at varying dosage levels 48 hours prior to intravenous inoculation of constant amounts of dialysable leucocytic transfer factor (TF). Bovine TF to coccidioidin and Brucella abortus and porcine TF to Mycobacterium avium were used. Twenty-four hours after TF injections, mice were tested for delayed hypersensitivity by footpad inoculation with specific antigens. The results show that CY slightly enhanced the delayed hypersensitivity response to the specific test antigens in all three systems. This was not true at every CY dose level, however, since there was a correlation between the dosage of CY and the time of peak footpad swelling. Cyclophosphamide at a low level (20 mg/kg body wt) caused the maximal reading at 24 hours after test, whereas the high level dose (200 mg/kg) showed greatest thickening of the footpad at 48 hours. Transfer factor dosage differences appeared to change the response relatively little, if at all. The cyclophosphamide dose response, on the other hand, showed disparities among various antigen systems and at the different observation times. Under these conditions, no consistent, striking effects of CY on transfer could be noted.

Increased environmental heat causes early embryonic death before implantation. This study was designed to examine tissues of dams exposed to environmental temperatures of 36°C and to examine 72 hour old embryos from these dams. Results showed adult mice exposed to heat stress had significant changes in liver morphology with hepatocyte swelling and vacuolization of the cytoplasm, organelles in the hepatocytes were displaced next to the cell membrane. After 48 hours of recovery from heat stress, liver morphology appeared normal. Embryos from heat stressed dams had delayed development indicated by increased 2alpha helical cellular inclusions. Embryos responded differently to different fixation techniques indicated permeability changes in either the zona pellucida or cellular membranes. Litter size or pup survivability from heat stressed dams allowed to recover indicated changes seen at this point were reversible

The structural and functional integrity of a developing and maturing fetal and neonatal lung is critically dependent on carbohydrate metabolism. The energy derived from carbohydrate metabolism is utilized during the processed of cell growth and development. It is reported that maternal nicotine exposure during pregnancy and lactation results in the irreversible inhibition of glycolysis, for which no mechanism is currently proposed and a significant increase in glucose turnover. The principal objective of this thesis was to determine the influence of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation on the isoenzyme patterns and transcript levels of the selected enzymes in developing neonatal rat lung, in an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of inhibition of glycolysis observed.