Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in large number of pathologies and in normal physiological function of the brain. The aim of this study was to recognize the effect of Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester ·HCl (NAME) and L-Arginine Ethyl Ester.HCl (ARGININE) on reactivity of the central DA D3 receptor to agonist (Quinpirole) in rats. For this reason we have been used specific behavioural procedure such yawning behaviour which is mediated via central DA D3 receptors. Experiments were perform in adult male Wistar rats treated daily with quinpirole (0.05 mg/kg IP) or vehicle (0.9% NaCl) for the first 11 days from birth to obtain of the central D3 receptor supersensitivity. NAME and ARGININE in different way modified response of the central DA receptor to quinpirole estimated by means yawning behavioural procedure.

Macrophage generation of reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) represents a major effector mechanism in anti‐microbial immunity and non‐septic inflammatory reactions. The induction of macrophage RNI production has been demonstrated to require at least two signals which in microbial infections can be provided by interferon (IFN)‐γ and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The current study demonstrates that, in the absence of LPS, T lymphocytes can provide cognate signal(s) which synergize with IFN‐γ in stimulating macrophage RNI production, as evidenced by the ability of plasma membranes from T cell clones to activate IFN‐γ‐primed macrophages. Although viable resting T cells can activate IFN‐γ‐primed macrophages by an interaction that is antigen specific, plasma membranes from resting T cells do not activate macrophages. Plasma membranes from T cells activated by immobilized anti‐CD3 were able to effectively induce RNI production in IFN‐γ‐primed macrophages. However, in contrast to the antigen‐specific interaction of macrophages with viable resting T cells, the activation of IFN‐γ‐primed macrophages by membranes from activated T cells does not display antigen specificity. Plasma membranes from activated T helper TH2 and from activated TH1 cells were equally effective in activating IFN‐γ‐primed macrophages, suggesting that the dominance of TH1 over TH2 cells in cell‐mediated responses involving macrophage effectors is not a reflection of differences in their ability to interact with macrophages but rather is a reflection of their different pattern of cytokine production. These results suggest that the T cell‐macrophage interaction involves reciprocal activation of both cells ‐ an antigen‐specific activation of the T cells which results in the acquisition of T cell membrane components involved in antigen‐nonspecific stimulation of the macrophages.

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An ultraviolet instrument compatible with a CubeSat form factor is currently being developed at Virginia Tech for the purpose of measuring nitric oxide in the polar night through the stellar occultation technique. This instrument will allow the investigation of how the Sun and Earth systems are related via energetic particle precipitation in the auroral regions. The work performed in this thesis supports the instrument design and requirements development by modelling the stellar occultation geometry to identify orbit parameters and target stars that could yield nitric oxide measurements during the polar winter at consistent latitudes, to best observe the build-up and fall-off of nitric oxide. The orbit study was accomplished through the development of an open-source tool in MATLAB, the Stellar Occultation Mission Planner. The results of this analysis were used to model the instrument performance and identify the required narrowband filter parameters to meet science requirements. Additional studies were performed to explore system performance for a future flight opportunity. / Master of Science / A small, light weight instrument is being designed at Virginia Tech to allow for nitric oxide in the atmosphere to be measured during the long polar nights that occur during winter in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. This instrument will allow scientists to explore how the Sun and Earth interact through space weather at high latitudes. This will be accomplished by using star light to probe the atmosphere while the instrument is onboard a small spacecraft called a CubeSat. The work performed in this thesis simulated the spacecraft orbit to determine which stars yielded the best measurements over the course of the polar night. Using these results, the instrument performance was simulated to inform the design of a filter for the instrument. Additional studies were performed to support the design of a future mission to fly the instrument in space.

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