Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2003. / Bibliography: leaves 81-94. Also available online.

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<font face="Arial">This study represented the first structural investigation of any type III glutamine synthetase (GS). The GS, GlnA, from the medically important opportunistic human pathogen Bacteroides fragilis was studied with a view to better understanding the function and regulation of this important enzyme. </font>

<font face="Arial">This study represented the first structural investigation of any type III glutamine synthetase (GS). The GS, GlnA, from the medically important opportunistic human pathogen Bacteroides fragilis was studied with a view to better understanding the function and regulation of this important enzyme. </font>

Proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Met lit.-opg. en samenvatting in het Nederlands.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2004. / Typescript (photocopy). Bibliography: leaves 213-226.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 174 p. : ill. (some col.). Advisor: Anthony Young, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program. Includes bibliographical references (p. 154-174).

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2003. / Includes bibliography.

Proefschrift Maastricht. / Met lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Nederlands.

Epidural fibrosis following spinal surgery is common, and subsequent reoperations are more technically challenging with higher complication rates. A safe and effective therapeutic solution to this difficult clinical problem has yet to be realized. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of alanyl-glutamine in reduction of peritoneal adhesions in a rat abdominal sepsis model. I hypothesized that alanyl-glutamine may be similarly efficacious in minimizing epidural fibrosis in a rat laminectomy model. Rats were randomized into three groups: no surgery, laminectomy/normal saline and laminectomy/alanyl-glutamine (1g/kg). The surgical groups underwent a lumbar laminectomy with instillation of either normal saline or alanyl-glutamine into the peridural space. Thirty days after surgery, the rats were euthanized and the spinal columns prepared for histological evaluation. A blinded veterinary pathologist and a less experienced student independently graded the extent and maturity of epidural fibrosis. The laminectomy model was an effective model for epidural fibrosis formation. Rats that underwent laminectomy demonstrated significant fibrosis compared to control animals (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in histological grade of fibrosis between normal saline and alanyl-glutamine treatment groups (p=0.83). Based on this study, alanyl-glutamine does not appear to have an effect in reducing epidural fibrosis at a histological level. It is possible that alanyl-glutamine may have an effect that is not detectable using this model, in which case further studies with a more sensitive model may be indicated. Resources may be better used elucidating the mechanism by which glutamine acts to reduce adhesions in the peritoneal model and further studies exploiting those mechanisms can be designed.