Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Comparison Of Different Modulators That Affect Macrophage Activation In Vitro, Alda Alexa Díaz Pérez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inflammation is known as a mechanism to regulate and control infections as well as promote tissue repair. Macrophages (Mф) are known to be a major cell type in the initiation, sustainability and resolution of inflammation. Moreover, Mф are essential for the remodeling process that is also known as the wound healing response. The objective of this research was to compare five modulators (acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), dexamethasone (DEX), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), iloprost, and resolvin D1 (RvD1) for their anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages in vitro. Then, Mф phenotype in terms of gene expression and secreted cytokine response was determined. Our study compared …

Investigations Into The Incidence And Control Of Selected Parasites And Pathogens Which Infect Arkansas Horses, Stephanie Ann O'Berg Rainbolt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parasite control is an important aspect of health management of horses, particularly the control of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites. Recently, treatment recommendations have involved selective use of anthelmintics in horses with fecal egg counts (FEC) greater than a specified threshold. The objectives of this study were; (1) to determine the prevalence of helminths in our area by egg and L3 determinations, (2) to determine if certain horses maintained low FEC, therefore eliminating the need to treat them on a year-round basis and (3) to determine the effectiveness of four common treatments (moxidectin, ivermectin (pioneer and generic), fenbendazole and pyrantel tartrate) via …

Phylogeny And Diversity Of Entamoeba In Cockroaches, With An Emphasis On Periplaneta Americana, Mustafa Husain Fakhri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While the parasitic Amoebozoan Entamoeba histolytica has been well-studied for its role in human pathogenesis, the biodiversity of invertebrate-inhabiting Entamoeba has scarcely been investigated. Using molecular methods, I searched for Entamoeba in the guts of cockroaches from four of the six Blattodean families. Entamoeba small-subunit rRNA genes were recovered from all eight species of cockroaches tested, five of which represent newly discovered hosts. Phylogenetic analysis of over 190 sequences revealed a novel and highly diverse clade of cockroach-inhabiting Entamoeba, separate from the clade predominated by vertebrate-inhabitants. These results double the known genetic diversity of Entamoeba and suggest that they may …

Development Of A Turkey Coccidiosis Vaccine Candidate: An Attenuated Line Of The Protozoan Parasite, Eimeria Meleagrimitis, Thilakar Rathinam

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coccidiosis is an economically important enteric disease of poultry caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Eimeria. Drugs are most commonly used to control coccidiosis. Widespread usage of anticoccidial drugs in the field has resulted in development of drug resistant strains and consequently decreased drug efficacy. An alternative control strategy using attenuated vaccines is desired. A series of experiments was designed to identify, isolate and attenuate a strain of a common and pathogenic species of Eimeria of turkeys, E. meleagrimitis.

Sensitivity of field isolates of turkey coccidia to the anticoccidials drugs amprolium, clopidol, diclazuril, and monensin was investigated. A …

Development And Characterization Of An Autologous Whole Cell Breast Cancer Vaccine, Samantha Leigh Kurtz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in the United States in 2014. About 90% of these deaths will be due to metastases, rather than the primary tumor and majority of metastases are due to the recurrence and progression of non-metastatic disease. Current adjuvant treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, have severe side effects and may result in overtreatment and drug resistance.

Since greater than 90% of patients are diagnosed between stages I-III and have minimal residual disease after treatment, there is an opportunity to treat patients with an autologous breast cancer vaccine. Autologous vaccines under development have a …

Development Of Novel Antifungal Peptides Based On A Natural Model Of Histatin-5 Peptide, Duy Tu Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Our research group is working toward the development of novel antifungal peptides based on a natural model of peptide histatin-5. Histatin-5 is found in human saliva and known to protect our body against oral infections by Candida species. Candidiasis, or an infection caused by Candida species, is considered one of the most medically important fungal infections worldwide. Blood stream infections caused by Candida species are the fourth leading cause of hospital-acquired fungal infections that is associated with high mortality rates and high costs of treatment. This study investigated the modes of action of histatin-5 with the use of one 16-mer …

Efficacies Of Fenbendazole And Albendazole In The Treatment Of Commercial Turkeys Artificially Infected With Ascaridiadissimilis, Jessica Perkins

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this research was to determine the extent of anthelmintic resistance that turkey roundworms, Ascaridiadissimilis, have developed to anti-parasitic chemicals used in commercial turkey operations. Roundworm infections in turkeys have resulted in monetary losses for the poultry industry for years, generally due to poor feed conversion. The infection itself is generally subclinical and many turkeys have a light to moderate worm burden. Since parasitisms are light, this leads to the infections being noticed only during processing.A. dissimilis infections consist of adult worms and developing larvae with the latter comprising most of the worm burden and causing the most …

Efficacies Of Fenbendazole And Albendazole In The Treatment Of Commercial Turkeys Artificially Infected With Ascaridia Dissimilis, Jessica Perkins, Tom Yazwinski, Chris Tucker

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The goal of this research was to determine the extent of resistance that turkey roundworms, Ascaridia dissimilis, have developed to anti-parasitic chemicals used in commercial poultry operations. Roundworm infections in turkeys have resulted in monetary losses for the poultry industry for years, generally due to poor feed conversion. The infection itself is subclinical and many turkeys have a light to moderate worm burden. Since parasitisms are light, this leads to the infections being noticed only during processing. Ascaridia dissimilis infections consist of adult worms and developing larvae with the latter comprising most of the worm burden and causing the most …

Calf Pre-Weaning Traits And Immunoglobulin Response To Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Vaccination, Whitney Downum, A. Hayden Brown Jr., Jeremey G. Powell, E. Beth Kegley, Zelpha B. Johnson, Doug B. Galloway, James A. Hornsby, Billy R. Lindsey

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Calfhood vaccination for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a relatively new concept, and protocols are evolving. Our objective was to determine effects of BVDV type I vaccination protocol, calf behavior (chute score, and chute exit velocity), and gender on calf gain and immunoglobulin (Ig) response. Crossbred calves (n = 64) were randomly allotted to one of two vaccination protocols. In protocol 1, calves were vaccinated at 60 d of age (d 0) and at weaning (d 147). Calves assigned to protocol 2 were vaccinated against BVDV type I at 21 d prior to (d 126) and at weaning (d …

Use Of Irradiated And Formalin-Fixed Trichomonas Vaginalis To Examine Protective Immune Responses In The Mouse Intraperitoneal Model, Terryl L. Hostetler, James J. Daly, Timothy J. O'Brien, Max L. Baker

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Gamma irradiated Trichomonas vaginalis was used to initiate a protective immune response in mice by intraperitoneal inoculation using host mortality as the measure of virulence. Irradiated trichomonads of a virulent strain gave some immune protection but no more so than the use of formalin-fixed, virulent trichomonads. A formalin-fixed virulent strain combined with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) gave complete protection. Metabolically produced antigens do not appear to be important in conferring protective immunity in these experiments. A common laboratory strain of T. vaginalis (ATCC 30001) was used as an avirulent control. It gave no protection against a virulent strain. Combining CFA …

Pentoxifylline Modulation Of The Cytotoxic T-Cell Differentiation Pathway To Enhance Immunological Memory, Eric Goodspeed

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Immunological memory, acquired either by previous infection or vaccination, affords vertebrates a large margin of survival. Subsequent exposure to a "remembered" pathogen signals memory cells to undergo a rapid, clonal proliferation into armed effector cells. This rapidly mobilized clone mediates the specific clearance of the trespassing pathogen. Typically, this secondary recall response effectively dispatches the particular pathogen prior to any manifest disease pathology. This is the age-old, enjoyed benefit of immunity. Though this appreciation for immunological memory has been in documentation for nearly 3 millennia, our ability to intentionally increase its normal level of formation is only now beginning. The …

Hematozoa Of Common Grackles (Quiscalus Quiscula Versicolor, Vieillot) In Central Arkansas, Arthur A. Johnson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

During the years 1977-84, 118 bronzed grackles, Quiscalus quiscula versicolor, Vieillot, of 132 examined were found infected with hematozoa. The eight species of symbionts collected from the infected birds included two microfilarial species (Chandlerella quiscali and Eufilaria hibleri), five apicomplexans (Haemoproteus quiscali, Leucocytozoon fringillinarum, Plasmodium matutinum, P. vaughani, P. sp.) and a flagellate (Trypanosoma ontarioensis). P. matutinum and T. ontarioensis represent new host records and all the protozoans represent new locality records. Comparisons are made of symbiont prevalance and diversity as this relates to seasons of the year, sex and age of the host. Comparisons are also made with previous …

Survival Of Trypanosoma Cruzi In Dead Chronically Infected Mice, Lawrence C. Hinck, James L. Stevens, Rogers D. Meurer

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Various Treatments On The Distribution In Rats Of Immune Complexes Containing Antigens Of Mulv Leukemia Virus, Wail M. Siag, Jean Matchett, Joe M. Jones

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Immune complexes (IC) containing antigens of MuLV (¹²⁵lp30-anti-p30 or ¹²⁵lp70-anti-gp70) and formed in vitro or in vivo were sequestered primarily in the spleen. Treatments of rats with trypan blue, known to inhibit the reticuloendothelial system (RES) and diethylstilbestrol (DES), known to stimulate the RES, resulted in slight but not significant reduction of uptake of IC by the spleen. Splenectomy did not increase sequestration of IC by the liver nor did it change the distribution of IC in other tissues. Protein A, a cell wall protein of Staphylococcus aureus, when injected with IC resulted in a 10-fold reduction of uptake of …

Protective Immune Responses Of Rabbits To Ascaris Suum Larval Antigens, Lawrence W. Hinck, Myra B. Finch

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Purified Salmonella Enteritidis Endotoxin On The Immune Response Of Balb/C Mice, John B. Barnett, John W. Jutila

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Wasting disease was produced in neonatal Balb/c mice with purified Salmonella enteritidis endotoxins. The endotoxins were chemically characterized to provide the study with a potent endotoxin with constant biological activity. Neonatal mice received an initial injection of 35 μg/g body weight of endotoxin and a dose of 75 μg every third day until day 18. The degree of wasting was estimated by the runting (weight loss) index. Mortality was calculated to be 46%, with a mean survival time of approximately 15 days. The hematologic studies conducted at days 10, 20, and 30 showed an absolute neutrophilia and leukocytosis by day …

Immune Responses Of Rats To Antigens Of Moloney Leukemia Virus, Erratum, Frances B. Soderberg, Susan G. Tai, Joe M. Jones

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Immune Responses Of Rats To Antigens Of Moloney Leukemia Virus, Frances B. Soderberg, Susan G. Tai, Joe M. Jones

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Hemogregarines In The Red-Eared Slider, Chrysemys Scripta Elegans (Wied) From Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, Anthony W. King

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Immunization Of Rats Against Mesocestoides Corti (Cestoda) By Subcutaneous Vaccination Of Living Tetrathyridia And By Passive Transfer With Serum, Jerry Y. Niederkorn

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Laboratory rats were subcutaneously vaccinated with 100 live tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides corti (Cestoda) and subsequently intraperitoneally challenged with 50 tetrathyridia. Necropsy 30 days postinfection revealed that vaccinated rats harbored 97.4% fewer worms compared to control rats. In a second experiment, passive transfer of immunity was accomplished by immune serum from subcutaneously vaccinated rats. Rats receiving immune serum harbored 33.4% lighter worm burdens compared to normal serum recipients.

Parasites Of Selected Gamed Fishes Of Lake Fort Smith, Arkansas, David A. Becker, Donald G. Cloutman

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Surveys during 1961 and 1970 of the helminth parasites of selected game fishes of Lake Fort Smith, Arkansas, are compared. New host records are established in the State of Arkansas for the monogenetic trematode and crustacean parasites of the channel catfish, warmouth, bluegill, white crappie and black crappie.

Demonstration, And A Suggested Immune Role, Of Mouse Antibodies Against Salmonella Enteritidis Endotoxins, Jimmie D. Barrack, Leo J. Paulissen

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Enhanced Phagocytosis Of Salmonella Enteritidis With Hypoagglutinating Mouse Antisera, Jack Lockhart, Leo J. Paulissen

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Antibiotic Substance Produced By Rhizopus Nigricans Ehrenberg, Billy Joe Williams

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.