published_or_final_version / Pharmacology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Zoology / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Anatomy / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Biochemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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 / 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

Small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels are found ubiquitously throughout the brain and modulate the encoding of learning and memory. Systemic injection of 1-ethyl-2-benzimidalzolinoe (EBIO), a SK channel activator, impairs the encoding of novel object memory and locomotion but spares fear memory encoding in C57BL/6NHsd mice. The memory impairments discovered were not due to non-cognitive performance confounds such as ataxia, anxiety, attention or analgesia. Further investigation with intra-hippocampal application of EBIO revealed SK channels in dorsal CA1 contribute to the encoding deficits seen systemically, but do not account for the full extent of the impairment. Concentrated activation of dorsal CA1 SK channels do not influence fear memory encoding or locomotor impairments. Taken together, these data indicate SK channels, especially in the dorsal hippocampus, have a modulatory role on novel object memory encoding, but not retrieval; however, pharmacological activation of hippocampal SK channels does not appear to influence fear memory encoding. / by Kyle A. Vick, IV. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.