Animal Experimentation and Research Commons^™

A Novel Strategy Utilizing Co-Expression Of Murine Il-12 And Antisense Tgf-Pl Against H238 Tumor Formation, Craig A. Seheult

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cytokines have a profound effect on immune modulation, thus playing a significant role in cancer gene therapy. A variety of human carcinomas secrete transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), a cytokine with potent immunosuppressive properties. Suppressing TGF-β could be a key to successfully combating malignancies, such as gliomas, mammary, and colon cancers, that over-express TGF-β. Conversely, interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a potent immunostimulatory cytokine capable of regulating T and NK cell-mediated cytotoxic responses (Trinchieri, 1994) during an anti-tumor response. Activation of the immune system with such immunostimulatory cytokines renders it inert to the suppressive effects of TGF-β. To better understand these processes our …

Effects Of Liposome-Encapsulated Tnf-Alpha And Radiation Against Colon Cancer, Dong Won Kim

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Previous studies have shown that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) can augment the antitumor effects of radiation, inhibiting tumor progression to a greater extent than either modality alone. However, nonspecific toxicities associated with TNF-α have limited its use as an adjuvant. This limitation is potentially resolved with the encapsulation of TNF-α in sterically stabilized, PEGylated liposomes (STEALTH®). Thus, the overall hypothesis of the research was that the combination of radiation with STEALTH® liposome encapsulated TNF-α (SL-TNF-α) will have greater efficacy and fewer dose-limiting side effects in the LS174T human colorectal tumor xenograft model compared to the combination of free TNF-α and …

Effect Of Photoperiod On Developmental Morphology And Enolase Isoenzyme Immunohistochemistry In Rat And Djungarian Hamster Superficial Pineal Glands, Chalmer D. Mcclure

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The best understood functional activity of the pineal gland is its diurnal production of melatonin in response to environmental lighting cues. Several enzymes of the melatonin pathway respond to daily photoperiod changes, for example hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) and serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT). Increased levels of the glycolytic enzyme neuron-specific enolase (NSE) are thought to reflect increased physiological demands placed on neurons and neuroendocrine tissues. Homodimer non-neuronal enolase isoenzyme (NNE) is immunolocalized to cells, and the hybrid enolase (consisting of subunits from NSE and NNE) has been seen in cerebellar stellate and basket cells. Although not rate limiting, concentrations of both NSE and …

Mandibular And Alveolar Growth In Dog Following Infusion Of 5-Fluorouricil, Richard D. Pfeiffer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The action of a chemotherapeutic agent as a tool in studying its effect upon a primary growth center, the mandibular condyle, was investigated. So far as can be ascertained, no studies have been reported where these growth sites have been eliminated or modified by the use of chemotherapeutic growth inhibitors.

Observation of mandibular and alveolar growth following the infusion into the left external carotid artery of a cancer chemotherapeutic agent, 5-Fluorouricil (Roach-Hoffman), was noted. Comparisons were made between the infused and the uninfused sides of the mandible observing gross growth changes.

Four dogs, aged 75 days, were infused with varying …

A Study Of Regeneration Of Peripheral Nerve In The Rat, James C. Jay

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Due to improvements in fixation and embedding techniques a restudy of regenerating peripheral nerve was thought advisable in order to better understand and describe the processes which take place.

Femoral nerves of white Wistar rats were used. The lesions were made by either crushing or severing the nerve. After a period of regeneration, varying from 12 hours to six days, the wound was reopened and the injured portion fixed in situ with 1% osmium tetroxide. The tissues were then removed, dehydrated, embedded and sectioned. The sections were stained and studied with a modified RCA EMU2A electron microscope.

Observations revealed that …