Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Investigation Of Bovine Herpesvirus-1 Determinants Of Neuronal Infectivity In Novel Bovine Neuronal Cell Systems For Development Of A Safer Viral Vaccine Vector, Jared Rudd

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) is the causative agent of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and a component of the bovine respiratory disease complex. BoHV-1 is a significant burden on the cattle industry in the United States causing severe respiratory disease, abortions, loss of calves (“shipping fever”). BoHV-1 belongs to the alphaherpesvirus subfamily of Herpesviridae. Alphaherpesviruses enter axons of sensory nerves and establish life-long latency in trigeminal and dorsal root ganglionic neurons after primary infection of the oronasal or genital epithelium respectively. Modified live attenuated vaccines for BoHV-1 are commercially available but are limited in their protection while retaining the ability to establish latency …

Embryo Development And Reproductive Parameters Of Aluteal Cycles In Mares, Chun Kuen Mak

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Progestagen is crucial for regulating early pregnancy in most mammalian species, including the horse. This dissertation research sought to elucidate the effect of endogenous and exogenous progestagens on the early development of equine embryos and to characterize reproductive parameters in the subsequent estrus using a prostaglandin F_2α-induced hypoluteal environment, namely the aluteal pregnancy model. The first chapter reviewed the life cycle of the corpus luteum and its progesterone secretory function in mares. The existing literature supports the notion that the early developing corpus luteum is responsive to prostaglandin F_2α, and complete luteolysis or prevention of luteal …

Potential Role Of Acetylation On Equine Sperm Capacitation, Luis H. De Aguiar

LSU Master's Theses

A series of biochemical and physical modifications in the sperm during the transport in the female reproductive tract that make the sperm capable of fertilization are called capacitation. It is an important process since ejaculated sperm is not capable of fertilizing an oocyte before capacitation. The sperm modifications during the capacitation process include changes in membrane fluidity, tyrosine phosphorylation, calcium influx, pH increase and hyperpolarization, leading the sperm to achieve hypermotility and the acrosome reaction, which are also required for conventional in vitrofertilization (IVF). In vitro production of embryos leading to viable offspring has been successful in different …

Development Of A Perineural Injection Of The Caudal Cervical Spinal Nerve Roots In Horses, Jonuel A. Cruz-Sanabria

LSU Master's Theses

Neck pain in horses can result in lameness and poor performance and can occur from arthritis of cervical articular process joints (APJs). Current treatment consists of direct injection of corticosteroids into the cervical APJs; however, this does not alleviate pain in all horses. New bone formation around the APJ can also result in compression of the spinal nerve roots and pain. The purpose of this study was to develop an ultrasound-guided cervical perineural injection technique and assess the safety of performing the technique in normal healthy horses. An ultrasound-guided cervical perineural injection technique of the caudal cervical spinal nerve roots …

Anesthetic Combination Of Alfaxalone, Dexmedetomidine And Hydromorphone For Comparison Of Endoscopy-Guided Intubation And Blind Orotracheal Intubation In Domestic Rabbits (Oryctolagus Cuniculus), Stephanie Reabel

LSU Master's Theses

Domestic rabbits have a high risk of anesthesia-related mortality compared to other companion animals. Factors that may contribute to increased mortality include drug-induced cardiopulmonary effects (Grint & Murison 2008; Navarrete-Calvo et al. 2013), difficulty performing intubation (Aeschbacher 1995; Flecknell 2016; Wenger et al. 2017) or damage to laryngeal and tracheal tissues following orotracheal intubation (Grint et al. 2006; Phaneuf et al. 2006; Engbers et al. 2017).

Alfaxalone is a neuroactive steroid that produces induction of anesthesia and cardiorespiratory depression in a dose-dependent manner when injected intravenously. The ability to induce anesthesia via an intramuscular (IM) route has several advantages in …

Effects Of Cryopreservation, Immunophenotype And Sex On Multipotentiality, Cell Proliferation And Gene Expression In Feline Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells, Maia Williams

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Determining The Effects Of Exogenous Human Chorionic Gonadotropin And Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin On Plasma Testosterone, Testicular Volume, And Semen Production In Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis Macularius), Alexandra Mason

LSU Master's Theses

Planet earth has now entered into its sixth mass extinction as a result of expanding human populations, posing an unprecedented threat to biologic diversity. Climate change, habitat fragmentation, wildlife trade, pollution, and biological invasions are just a few consequences of human activities that have directly contributed to unprecedented species extinctions. While widespread amphibian declines have gained more recent attention, it has been proposed that reptiles may be in even greater danger of extinction worldwide. Unfortunately, many reptiles are destined to go extinct before many of their basic biologic traits, including reproductive methods, have even been determined.

In order to mitigate …

Characterization Of Memory T-Lymphocyte Subsets In Dogs, Annie Beth Bauman

LSU Master's Theses

A more complete understanding of canine T-cell immunity is necessary for improving diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to canine diseases, developing cell-based canine immunotherapeutics, and evaluating dogs as large mammal models for comparative immunology research. Canine immunological studies are limited by the lack of established phenotypic markers identifying diverse differentiation states in canine T-cells. Differential expression of CD45RA (indicating antigen experience) and CD62L (indicating lymph node homing capability), shows promise as a tool to delineate canine naïve (TN), central memory (TCM), effector memory (TEM), and terminal effector memory (TEMRA) T-cells. The aim of this study was to characterize canine memory T-cell …

The Effects Of Mechanical Rocking Motion On Transdifferentiating Feline Adipose Multipotent Stromal Cells Into Functioning Pancreatic Β-Cell Like Islets, Emily Halphen

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of In Utero Exposure To Aerosols Generated By Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems In Neonatal And Adult Offspring, Kerin M. Cahill

LSU Master's Theses

Recently, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have become increasingly popular alternatives to cigarette smoking and are perceived as “safe” substitutes. The effects that these devices have on healthy adult lungs are still not fully understood, much less the effects on vulnerable populations such as expectant mothers and neonates. In an effort to better understand the potentially detrimental outcomes that gestational usage may have on both mothers and offspring, we conducted mouse studies on in utero exposures to both, third generation (“box mod”) ENDS aerosols and fourth generation (“pod mod”) JUUL aerosols. In exposures using the box mod device, in utero …

Edwardsiella Ictaluri Is Capable Of Persisting In Channel Catfish By Evading Host T Cell And Cell Death Responses, Elizabeth Watts Griggs

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Edwardsiella ictaluri is a gram-negative bacterium of the family Enterobacteriaceae that infects and causes enteric septicemia (ESC) of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), a fatal disease costing the catfish industry millions of dollars in losses each year. Edwardsiella. ictaluri is capable of replicating in catfish head-kidney-derived-macrophages (HKDM), and like many other gram-negative bacteria, E. ictaluri encodes a Type III Secretion System (T3SS) that is required for virulence and intracellular replication. In the case of E. ictaluri, the T3SS translocates effectors from the Edwardsiella containing vacuole (ECV) through the bacterial cell wall and the vacuolar membrane directly to the …

Establishment Of Laboratory Methods To Assess The Application Of Blood Transfusions In Reptiles, Anke Cordula Stoehr

LSU Master's Theses

A broad knowledge base on veterinary transfusion medicine has been developed in common mammalian species, but little is known in reptiles. The goals of this thesis were to establish laboratory methods to assess the application of blood transfusions in reptiles. Morphological and physiological differences in reptiles, including their erythrocytes, hamper direct adaption of mammalian laboratory methods.

Quantification of percentage hemolysis is a crucial tool for quality assessment of stored red blood cell products. We evaluated measurement of the required analytes for this calculation (supernatant and total hemoglobin) with different methods in blood from American alligators and found that the use …

In Vitro Analysis Of Equine Platelet Rich Plasma And In Vivo Effect Of Cytokines After Repeated Intra-Articular Injections In Osteoarthritic Joints, Carlos Aguilar Miranda

LSU Master's Theses

INTRODUCTION- The use of biologic therapies like platelet rich plasma (PRP) has a potential benefit for the treatment of osteoarthritis in horses. However, key parts of it are still unknown. The objective is to evaluate the degree of platelet activation achieved when in contact with exogenous activators. As well as the long-term effect in the anabolism and catabolism of cytokines involved in equine osteoarthritis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS-In one in vitro study PRP was collected from 6-horses using a commercially available kit. Platelets were exposed to PBS as negative control or to varying concentrations of CaCl2. Activation was determined via cell …

Equine Hoof Stratum Internum K14+Cd105+ Progenitor Cells: Culture, Characterization, And Model Of Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition, Qingqiu Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For the potential benefit of progenitor cells to be realized in cell-based clinical therapies, it is vital to investigate the mechanism between progenitor cells and abnormal tissue formation. Laminitis is a fatal condition that is often presented by equine hoof inflammation and hoof tissue disarrangement. The persistence of abnormal tissue formation after the resolution of equine laminitis suggests there is progenitor cell compromise. So far, there is limited information about equine hoof progenitor cells and the effects of inflammation on hoof progenitor cells. To pursue a better understanding of both hoof progenitor cell and hoof growth as well as find …

Nlrp6 In Gram-Positive Pneumonia And Sepsis, Laxman Ghimire

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Acute lower respiratory infections (pneumonia) and pneumonia-derived sepsis are among the leading causes of death in the world causing 7.8 million deaths annually. In this regard, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is endemic in the US and implicated for causing high mortality-associated necrotizing pneumonia and aggravating viral pneumonia with superinfection. Additionally, sepsis is the 7^th leading cause of death among newborns in the US and is responsible for more than 750,000 hospitalization cases every year. Although there is a plethora of research in both pneumonia and sepsis, the detailed pathophysiology still remains elusive. Understanding the host defense mechanism will help …

Characterization Of Bunyamwera, Batai, And Ngari Viruses: Unrecognized Arboviruses Of One Health Importance In Rwanda, Marie Fausta Dutuze

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bunyamwera (BUNV), Batai (BATV), and Ngari (NRIV) are mosquito-borne viruses (Genus: Orthobunyavirus, Family: Peribunyaviridae, Order: Bunyavirales). They have an RNA tripartite genome consisting of small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments. NRIV is a natural reassortant of BUNV and BATV, with the genome: S_BUNV, M_BATV, L_BUNV. All three viruses have been associated with disease of varying severity in domestic ruminants and humans. In livestock, infection with these viruses is associated with abortions, while humans may present a mild febrile illness or severe disease such as hemorrhagic fever or meningoencephalitis. In East Africa, …

Infection Potential Of Rickettsia Felis Via Ingestion, Matthew M. Schexnayder

LSU Master's Theses

Rickettsia felis is the etiologic agent of flea-borne spotted fever (FBSF) in humans and a poorly described cause of fever in animals. It is transmitted by its primary arthropod vector and reservoir host, the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis. Known routes of Rickettsia felis transmission between Rickettsia felis-infected cat fleas and vertebrate hosts include cutaneous bites and contamination of cutaneous wounds with infective flea feces. The bulk of FBSF infections occur in young children in Africa, though infections of people at all ages all over the world have been confirmed. As mammals and young children frequently come into contact …

Neurostimulator With Waveforms Inspired By Nature For Wearable Electro-Acupuncture, Jose Aquiles Parodi Amaya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work presented here has 3 goals: establish the need for novel neurostimulation waveform solutions through a literature review, develop a neurostimulation pulse generator, and verify the operation of the device for neurostimulation applications.

The literature review discusses the importance of stimulation waveforms on the outcomes of neurostimulation, and proposes new directions for neurostimulation research that would help in improving the reproducibility and comparability between studies.

The pulse generator circuit is then described that generates signals inspired by the shape of excitatory or inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (EPSP, IPSP). The circuit analytical equations are presented, and the effects of the circuit …

The Use Of Geospatial Modeling And Novel Diagnostics To Detect And Map Risk Factors Of Soil-Transmitted Helminths In Feira De Santana, Brazil, Ryan Harry Avery

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections impact billions of people worldwide. The traditional STH control approach is a morbidity control strategy implementing mass drug administration (MDA) programs targeting school-aged children (SAC). In Brazil, this control strategy has decreased STH prevalence to less than 20% in most of the country and providing an opportunity to transition from the morbidity control program and towards a surveillance and response system geared towards STH elimination. Surveillance and response systems geared towards elimination require the implementation higher accuracy diagnostics to detect infection in low-transmission communities, surveillance of entire households, high-resolution modeling at the household-habitat scale, and targeted …

Hsv-1 Live-Attenuated Vaccine Strain Vc2 Confers Complete Protection In Mice Against Ocular Immunipathogenesis By The Human Clinical Strain Hsv-1 (Mckrae), Shan Krishnan Naidu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) can cause severe ocular infection and blindness. We have previously shown that the HSV-1 VC2 vaccine strain is protective in mice and guinea pigs against genital herpes infection following vaginal challenge with HSV-1 or HSV-2. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of VC2 intramuscular vaccination in mice against herpetic keratitis following ocular challenge with the lethal human clinical strain HSV-1(McKrae). VC2 vaccination in mice produced superior protection and morbidity control in comparison to its parental strain HSV-1(F). Specifically, after HSV-1(McKrae) ocular challenge, all VC2- vaccinated mice survived, while 30% of the HSV-1(F)- vaccinated and …

Assessing The Nutritional Value Of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia Illucens) Used For Reptile Foods, Kimberly L. Boykin

LSU Master's Theses

Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae have been studied extensively in animal feed production, but there is limited research for non-production species, such as reptiles, despite their popularity as a calcium-rich feeder insect. The goals of this thesis were to determine the nutritive value of BSF larvae for a lizard species and as an ingredient in a diet formulated for snakes.

BSF larvae are deficient in fat soluble vitamins (A, D, and E). Using vitamin A as a test nutrient, several factors were identified that affect the success and consistency of gut loading. Based on the results, the following gut loading …

Can Assisted Reproductive Technologies Help Conserve 300 Million Years Of Evolution? A First Attempt At Developing These Technologies For Male Reptiles, Sean M. Perry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biodiversity loss is the most critical environmental problem threatening ecosystem, animal, and human health today. Increases in extinction rates have been observed over the past 50 years, with reptile losses occurring twelve times faster than traditional extinction rates. This demonstrated biodiversity loss is secondary to climate change, habitat destruction, infectious disease, invasive species, poaching, and unsustainable trade. Approximately 20% of all reptiles are threatened with extinction and population declines are approaching rates similar to the current amphibian extinction crisis. Preventing the extinction of reptiles will require humans to acknowledge these losses and develop plans to preserve these evolutionary sentinel species. …

The Effect Of The Nematode Trapping Fungus Duddingtonia Flagrans Against Gastronintestinal Nematodes Of Exotic Ruminant Hoofstock At Disney's(R) Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kristen Renee Young

LSU Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) can severely affect the performance of ruminant animals and may lead to an animal’s death in a severe, untreated infection. Zoological parks, which have used anthelmintic drugs for treatment of GIN, are now seeing evidence of drug resistant parasites (Garretson et al., 2009). Duddingtonia flagrans, a nematophagous fungus, has shown a reduction in larvae of coprocultures of exotic ruminants through feed administration at Disney's^® Animal Kingdom Lodge (DAKL) and has potential to biologically control forage larvae (Terry, 2013). This study evaluated the effectiveness of Duddingtonia flagrans, administered to exotic ruminant hoofstock at a daily …

Evaluation Of Oncolytic And Immunomodulatory Potential Of The Hsv-1 Live-Attenuated Vaccine Strain Vc2 In An Immunocompetent Murine Melanoma Model, Natalie Wall Fowlkes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Melanoma accounts for 90% of skin cancer-related deaths in humans. Treatment options for metastatic melanoma in people is very limited. Melanoma is considered to be an immunogenic tumor, spurring interest in development of immunotherapies for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Oncolytic virotherapy has been widely investigated. The first ever oncolytic virotherapy to receive FDA-approval is an HSV-1-based virus (Talimogene Laherperavec (T-Vec) or Imlygic) containing a transgene for human GM-CSF to enhance anti-tumor immune responses after injection. Durable response rate in human patients was only 16% despite impressive efficacy in anti-tumor effects in vitro and in murine tumor models. Novel viruses …

Paclitaxel Enhances Oncolytic Potential Of Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 In Cancer Cells, Misagh Naderi

LSU Master's Theses

Taxanes are spindle poisons that bind to and stabilize microtubules resulting in mitotic arrest. Herpes simplex Typ-1 (HSV-1) virions utilize the microtubular network for intracellular transport during both virus entry and virus egress from infected cells. It has been reported previously that taxanes may synergize with oncolytic herpes simplex viruses in the treatment of experimental prostate and breast tumors in mice. Other reports have indicated that taxanes may inhibit viral replication in infected cells. In this study the previously characterized Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (OSVP), which was constructed in Kousoulas lab was used in conjugation with paclitaxel (taxol) …

Alternative Techniques For Alfaxalone Anesthesia Induction In Dogs And Cats, Angie Lagos

LSU Master's Theses

Alfaxalone is a neuroactive synthetic steroid (Brewster & Bodor, 1990) that produces anesthetic induction with dose- and speed-dependent cardiorespiratory depression in dogs and cats (Chiu et al. 2016; Warne et al., 2015). At clinical doses in unpremedicated dogs (2 mg kg^-1) and cats (5 mg kg^-1), alfaxalone induces a mild decrease in systemic vascular resistance, systemic blood pressure (Muir et al., 2009; Muir et al., 2008), apnea, hypoventilation, and hypoxemia (Muir et al. 2009; Muir et al., 2008). The cardiorespiratory side effects from alfaxalone induction could be prevented by reducing the total dose of alfaxalone necessary …

An Evaluation Of Pathophysiology And Biomechanics Of Selected Lamenesses In The Horse, Cole Barrett Sandow

LSU Master's Theses

INTRODUCTION-Laminitis and synovitis are two common causes of equine lameness. Laminitis is most often associated with hyperinsulinemia and osteoarthritis is most commonly the result of synovitis. The objective is to evaluate biomechanical and pathophysiologic events regarding laminitis and synovitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS-The first study evaluated biomechanical effects of insulin on lamellar strength. For this experiment, lamellar explants were harvested, incubated in media only (serving as a control) or media with a high concentration of insulin for 8 hours. After incubation, structural integrity was evaluated with a mechanical testing device. Data included load to failure (N), stress to failure (MPa), elongation …

Transmission Potential Of Rickettsia Felis Through Cutaneous Inoculation Of Infectious Flea Feces, Kelsey Porter Legendre

LSU Master's Theses

Rickettsia felis, the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever, is an emerging pathogen of the transitional group Rickettsiae and an important cause of febrile illness in Africa. Since the organism’s original discovery in the early 1990s, much research has been directed towards elucidating transmission mechanisms within the believed primary host and reservoir, the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). However, while a growing number of human cases are being reported throughout the world, a definitive transmission mechanism from arthropod host to vertebrate host resulting in clinical disease has not been found. Several possible mechanisms, including bite of infected arthropods …

Immune Response In The Mouse Cornea Elicited By Herpes Simplex Vaccine Vc2, Logan C. Kinamore

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Chemical Reagents And Physical Environment On The In Vitro And In Vivo Properties Of Adipose-Derived Multipotent Stromal Cells Isolated From Different Species, Wei Duan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adult adipose derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs) have been characterized in various species. Many factors may affect ASC fate and ASCs from different species may have different response to these factors. The first study was to identify the differences of the canine ASCs isolated from subcutaneous and infrapatellar adipose tissues, and evaluate the impact of cryopreservation on the cells. Based on paired comparisons of fresh and cryopreserved ASCs, cryopreserved ASCs had lower CD29 and CD44 protein expression and lower proliferation rates. The cryopreserved ASCs had relative lower mitochondria in the cytoplasm compared to the fresh ASCs regardless of tissue sources. …