Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Light-Induced Fos Expression In Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells In Melanopsin Knockout (Opn4-/-) Mice, Gary E. Pickard, Scott B. Baver, Malcolm D. Ogilvie, Patricia J. Sollars

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Retinal ganglion cells that express the photopigment melanopsin are intrinsically photosensitive (ipRGCs) and exhibit robust synaptically driven ON-responses to light, yet they will continue to depolarize in response to light when all synaptic input from rod and cone photoreceptors is removed. The light-evoked increase in firing of classical ganglion cells is determined by synaptic input from ON-bipolar cells in the proximal sublamina of the inner plexiform layer. OFF-bipolar cells synapse with ganglion cell dendrites in the distal sublamina of the inner plexiform layer. Of the several types of ipRGC that have been described, M1 ipRGCs send dendrites exclusively into the …

Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Provirus Levels Are Unaffected By The Prion 171r Allele In An Idaho Sheep Flock, Robert D. Harrington, Lynn M. Herrmann-Hoesing, Stephen N. White, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Donald P. Knowles

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Selective breeding of sheep for arginine (R) at prion gene (PRNP) codon 171 confers resistance to classical scrapie. However, other effects of 171R selection are uncertain. Ovine progressive pneumonia/Maedi-Visna virus (OPPV) may infect up to 66% of a flock thus any affect of 171R selection on OPPV susceptibility or disease progression could have major impact on the sheep industry. Hypotheses that the PRNP 171R allele is 1) associated with the presence of OPPV provirus and 2) associated with higher provirus levels were tested in an Idaho ewe flock. OPPV provirus was found in 226 of 358 …

Validation Of Use Of Rectoanal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue For Immunohistochemical Diagnosis Of Chronic Wasting Disease In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Delwyn Keane, Daniel Barr, Rebecca Osborn, Julie Langenberg, Katherine I. O'Rourke, David Schneider, Phillip Bochsler

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

The examination of rectoanal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) biopsy specimens for the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies has been described in sheep, elk, and small numbers of mule and white-tailed deer. Previous sample numbers have been too small to validate examination of this type of tissue as a viable antemortem diagnostic test. In this study, we examined RAMALT collected postmortem from 76 white-tailed deer removed from a farm in Wisconsin known to be affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD) and from 210 free-ranging white-tailed deer harvested from an area in Wisconsin where the overall prevalence of CWD among the deer …

Vaccination With Mycobacterium Bovis Bcg Strains Danish And Pasteur In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Experimentally Challenged With Mycobacterium Bovis, M. V. Palmer, T. C. Thacker, W. R. Waters

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

Wildlife reservoirs of Mycobacterium bovis represent serious obstacles to the eradication of tuberculosis in domestic livestock and the cause for many faltering bovine tuberculosis eradication programs. One approach in dealing with wildlife reservoirs of disease is to interrupt inter-species and intraspecies transmission through vaccination of deer or cattle. To evaluate the efficacy of BCG vaccination in white-tailed deer, 35 deer were assigned to one of three groups; one s.c. dose of 10⁷ CFU of M. bovis BCG Pasteur (n = 12); 1 s.c. dose of 10⁷ CFU of M. bovis BCG Danish (n = 11); or unvaccinated deer …

The Effects Of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid (Cla) On Fatty Acid Composition And Key Enzymes Of Fatty Acid Oxidation In Liver And Muscle Of Geese, Xuhui Zhang, Baowei Wang, Fangyu Long, Lei Wang, Zhigang Yang

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on fatty acid composition and key enzymes of fatty acid oxidation in liver and muscle of geese. A total of 192 1-day-old geese were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary groups, and were fed for 56 days on diets containing 2.5% soybean oil (group A, control group) or 2.0% soybean oil with 0.5% CLA (group B), 1.0% soybean oil with 1.5% CLA (group C), and 2.5 % CLA (group D). Geese fed CLA had a decreased abdominal fat percentage (AFP) (P < 0.01) compared with the control. It was observed that dietary CLA levels had a significant effect on the body weight, weight gain, feed conversion rate (FCR) (P < 0.05), and feed intake (P < 0.01). Fatty acid composition showed a significant increase of the biologically active cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, and cis-12 CLA isomers in both liver and muscle of geese fed CLA (P < 0.01). Dietary CLA led to an increase (P < 0.01) in saturated fatty acid (SFA) and a reduction in monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) (P < 0.05) concentrations in both liver and muscle. In liver, dietary CLA increased (P < 0.05) acyl CoA oxidase (ACO) activity, but did not affect carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I (CPT-I) activity compared with the control. CPT-I activity was significantly increased by 2.5% dietary CLA in muscle, where ACO activity was decreased at 1.5% CLA level. The results obtained suggested that geese can successfully incorporate CLA in both liver and muscle, which could be beneficial in the human diet, through provision of bioactive fatty acids with no detrimental effects on n-3 PUFA levels.

Ecological Risk Models For Visceral Leishmaniais [Sic] In Bahia, Brazil And Diagnosis Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Dogs In South Central Louisiana, Prixia Nieto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Three predictive models were developed within a geographic information system using earth observing satellite remote sensing (RS), the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Prediction (GARP) and the growing degree day-water budget (GDD-WB) concept to predict the distribution and potential risk of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the State of Bahia, Brazil. The objective was to define the environmental suitability of the disease as well as to obtain a deeper understanding of the eco-epidemiology of VL by associating environmental and climatic variables with disease prevalence. The RS, the GARP model and the GDD-WB model, using different analysis approaches and with the same human …

Comparison Of The Results Of Serum Total Protein Concentration Measured By 3 Methods: Preliminary Results, Teodora M. Georgieva, Dimitrinka S. Zapryanova, Evgeniya V. Dishlyanova, Stoyan I. Tanev, Ivan P. Georgiev, Maria I. Andonova, Ivan N. Kanelov, Lazarin V. Lazarov, Petya I. Koleva

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study provides the results from a comparative study of the 3 commonly used methods for total protein (TP) measurement. The experiments were carried out with 6 dogs (4-7 year-old, weighing 12.8 ± 1.4 kg). Five blood samples were obtained by saphena venepuncture from all dogs, during the time course of the experimentally induced infection with Staphylococcus intermedius, administered subcutaneously at a dose rate of 5 ml of 1.10^9 CFU/ml within 14 days. TP concentration was measured by 2 macro protein techniques - biuret method (commonly used) and method of Lowry, and a modified version of biuret method (micro …

Association Of Polymorphisms In The Intron 1 Of Duck Prolactin With Egg Performance, Hui Fang Li, Wen Qi Zhu, Kuan Wei Chen, Tang Jie Zhang, Wei Tao Song

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Gaoyou duck (Chinese indigenous breed) is famous for double-yolked egg. In the present study, SNP of prolactin (PRL) gene intron 1 of Gaoyou duck was detected by PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing. The results indicated that there were 2 Dra I recognition sites in intron 1 of the PRL gene, but only 1 was of polymorphism. A T/C mutation at the position of the 1326 bp of the PRL gene was found by DNA sequencing, and resulted in 3 genotypes AA, AB, and BB. The frequencies of genotype BB and allele B were the highest. The association analysis between the polymorphism …

Prevalence And Etiology Of Subclinical Mastitis In Awassi Dairy Ewes In Southern Turkey, Yaşar Ergün, Özkan Aslantaş, Gökhan Doğruer, Ekrem Ki̇reçci̇, Mustafa K. Saribay, Cafer Tayyar Ateş, Alev Ülkü, Cemi̇l Demi̇r

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In order to study the prevalence and etiology of subclinical mastitis a bacteriological survey on 16 Awassi dairy sheep flocks in southern Turkey was conducted. A total of 1458 milk samples from 729 Awassi ewes in mid-lactation were tested with the California mastitis test (CMT). Samples from 170 (11.7%) glands and 135 (18.5%) sheep had positive CMT results. Bacteria were isolated from 93 (6.4%) udder halves and 82 (11.2%) ewes. Positive CMT and bacteriological results were combined to define subclinical mastitis. The prevalence of subclinical mastitis and positive CMT samples among the different flocks ranged from 1.9% to 11.5% and …

Fattening Costs Of Beef Breeds Reared Under Controlled Conditions And The Determination Of Optimum Fattening Period, Ahmet Şahi̇n, Bülent Mi̇ran, İbrahi̇m Yildirim, Alper Önenç, Ahmet Alçi̇çek

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The primary purpose of this study was to calculate the fattening costs of different cattle breeds reared under controlled conditions and to determine the optimal fattening period that will maximize the net profit. The data were from 21 bullocks consisting of 7 Holstein, 7 Piedmont × Holstein, and 7 Limousin × Holstein cross-breed cattle reared and fattened in the closed tie-stall experiment barns of the Aegean Agricultural Research Institute, Turkey. The data used for the analysis were from the year 1999, but were updated for 2007. The fattening period lasted 280 days, after a rearing period of 195 days. The …

A Case Report Of Ulcerative Lymphangitis (A Mini Review Of Causes And Current Therapies), Fereydon Rezazadeh Zavoshti, Amir Babak Sioofy-Khojine, Hassan Ali Mahpeikar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Ulcerative lymphangitis, or pigeon fever, is a bacterial infection of the lymphatic vessels of the skin in horses, cattle, sheep, and goats. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the classical cause of the disease. However, other pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus have been isolated from cases of ulcerative lymphangitis. The aim of this report is to review the causes of pyoderma and skin abscesses in horses with specific attention to Staphylococcus aureus. A 10-year-old Thoroughbred stallion was examined in the suburbs of Tabriz (northwest of Iran) in February 2007. Skin abscesses were present around the hock joints on the hind limbs, on the …

Occurrence Of Haematopinus Suis Linnaeus, 1758 (Insecta, Anopluridae) On A Wild Boar (Sus Scrofa), Oya Gi̇ri̇şgi̇n, A. Onur Gi̇ri̇şgi̇n, Fi̇gen Sönmez, Ç. Volkan Akyol

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

A wild boar (Sus scrofa) about 2 years old was brought to our parasitology laboratory from Orhaneli region, Bursa province. It was examined for ectoparasites and 32 lice collected from the animal's head were inspected and identified as Haematopinus suis. Five of them were found to be as nymphs, whereas 27 were adults. This paper is the first report of H. suis found in Bursa province, Turkey.

Morphologic Deformation In A Ray: A Case Report, Gülnur Meti̇n, Akin Türker İlkyaz, H. Tuncay Kinacigi̇l

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study presents the data from a morphologic deformation diagnosis of a speckled ray (Raja polystigma Regan, 1923) individual which was sampled from İzmir Bay. Deformation was located on the head part of the specimen and no deformation was observed in other body regions.

Effects Of Lighting Schedule And Ascorbic Acid On Performance And Tibiotarsus Bone Characteristics In Broilers, Hüseyi̇n Yildiz, Meti̇n Petek, Gürsel Sönmez, İlker Arican, Bestami̇ Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was conducted to determine the effects of 2 lighting programs (continuous: 24 h light:0 h dark; intermittent: 12 h daylight followed by 3 cycles of 1 h light, and then 3 h dark during the night) and 3 ascorbic acid supplementations (0, 200, and 400 mg/L added to water) on broiler performance, bone characteristics, and the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia. One-day-old male commercial (Ross PM_3) broiler chicks (600) were divided into 6 treatment groups (2 × 3) with random replicates (4 replicates per treatment). At the end of 6 weeks data revealed that the lighting program, which was …

Pathological, Immunohistochemical, And Bacteriological Findings In The Mammary Glands And Supramammary Lymph Nodes Of Cows With A History Of Abortion Due To Brucella Abortus, Enver Beytut, Mi̇that Şahi̇n, Serpi̇l Ergi̇nsoy, Mahmut Sözmen

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present study examined the mammary glands and supramammary lymph nodes of cows with a history of abortion due to Brucella abortus, and presents the histopathological, immunohistochemical, and bacteriological results. The study included 11 Brucella-seropositive cows that aborted during their first gestation. Histopathologically, the mammary glands showed lymphoplasmacytic and histiocytic interstitial mastitis. The lymph nodes had lymphofollicular hyperplasia and medullary plasmacytosis. Immunohistochemistry results showed brucellar antigens, predominantly in the cytoplasm of macrophages, and neutrophils in the intralobular interstitium and periductal stroma in the udders of 3 cows. Desquamated alveolar epithelium also indicated intense immunopositivity. In the lymph nodes, macrophages containing …

Comparison Of Lamb Growth Characteristics In Diverse Genotypes In Relation To Milk Yield Of Dams, Mehmet Yardimci, Erol Şengör, E. Hesna Şahi̇n, İ. Sadi̇ Çeti̇ngül, İsmai̇l Bayram

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

No abstract provided.

Pyrilamine In The Horse: Detection And Pharmacokinetics Of Pyrilamine And Its Major Urinary Metabolite O-Desmethylpyrilamine, L. Dirikolu, A. F. Lehner, J Daniel Harkins, W. E. Woods, W. Karpiesiuk, R. S. Gates, M. Fisher, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Pyrilamine is an antihistamine used in human and veterinary medicine. As antihistamines produce central nervous system effects in horses, pyrilamine has the potential to affect the performance of racehorses. In the present study, O-desmethylpyrilamine (O-DMP) was observed to be the predominant equine urinary metabolite of pyrilamine. After intravenous (i.v.) administration of pyrilamine (300 mg/horse), serum pyrilamine concentrations declined from about 280 ng/mL at 5 min postdose to about 2.5 ng/mL at 8 h postdose. After oral administration of pyrilamine (300 mg/horse), serum concentrations peaked at about 33 ng/mL at 30 min, falling to <2 ng/mL at 8 h postdose. Pyrilamine was not detected in serum samples at 24 h postdosing by either route. After i.v. injection of pyrilamine (300 mg/horse) O-DMP was recovered at a level of about 20 ̄g/mL at 2 h postdose thereafter declining to about 2 ng/mL at 168 h postdose. After oral administration, the O-DMP recovery peaked at about 12 ̄g/mL at 8 h postdose and declined to <2 ng/mL at 168 h postdose. These results show that pyrilamine is poorly bioavailable orally (18%), and can be detected by sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests in urine for up to 1 week after a single administration. Care should be taken as the data suggest that the withdrawal time for pyrilamine after repeated oral administrations is likely to be at least 1 week or longer.

Spatial Ecology Of Raccoons Related To Cattle And Bovine Tuberculosis In Northeastern Michigan, Todd Atwood, Thomas Deliberto, Holly Smith, Justin Stevenson, Kurt C. Vercauteren

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

In 1995, Mycobacterium bovis, the causative bacterium of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), was detected in 5 beef cattle operations in Alcona County, Michigan, USA. In accordance with Federal law, the operations were depopulated to prevent the spread of bTB. Subsequent wildlife surveillance programs identified high prevalence of M. bovis in mesocarnivores, including raccoons ( Procyon lotor), which suggested that raccoons may be complicit in vectoring the pathogen among livestock operations. Our goal was to develop an empirical basis for generating hypotheses about the likelihood for raccoons to mediate the transmission of bTB to livestock. We found intersexual differences in …

Disease, Predation And Demography: Assessing The Impacts Of Bovine Tuberculosis On African Buffalo By Monitoring At Individual And Population Levels, P. C. Cross, D. M. Heisey, J. A. Bowers, C. T. Hay, J. Wolhuter, P. Buss, M. Hofmey, A. L. Michel, R. G. Bengis, T. L. F. Bird, J. T. Du Toit, W. M. Getz

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

1. Understanding the effects of disease is critical to determining appropriate management responses, but estimating those effects in wildlife species is challenging. We used bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in the African buffalo Syncerus caffer population of Kruger National Park, South Africa, as a case study to highlight the issues associated with estimating chronic disease effects in a long-lived host.

2. We used known and radio-collared buffalo, aerial census data, and a natural gradient in pathogen prevalence to investigate if: (i) at the individual level, BTB infection reduces reproduction; (ii) BTB infection increases vulnerability to predation; and (iii) at the population level, …

Economic Impact Of Bovine Tuberculosis On Minnesota’S Cattle And Beef Sector, Brian Buhr, Kyle Mckeever, Kenji Adachi

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

In September 2005, the first case of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in 34 years was discovered in Minnesota and led to a loss of Minnesota’s bovine TB free status. In October 2007 and January and February 2008, four additional cattle herds and deer infected with BTB were discovered in Roseau and Beltrami counties and Minnesota’s BTB status was changed from “modified accredited advanced” to “modified accredited” in April 2008. Each of these designations has increased regulatory requirements (and costs) for animal testing, record keeping, eradication practices, slaughtering and shipments of cattle within state and across state lines.

Humoral Immune Responses Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) To Mycobacterium Bovis Bcg Vaccination And Experimental Challenge With M. Bovis, P. Nol, K. P. Lyashchenko, R. Greenwald, J. Esfandiari, W. R. Waters, M. V. Palmer, B. J. Nonnecke, T. J. Keefe, T. C. Thacker, J. C. Rhyan, F. E. Aldwell, M. D. Salman

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

Monitoring of the kinetics of production of serum antibodies to multiple mycobacterial antigens can be useful as a diagnostic tool for the detection of Mycobacterium bovis infection as well as for the characterization of disease progression and the efficacy of intervention strategies in several species. The humoral immune responses to multiple M. bovis antigens by white-tailed deer vaccinated with BCG orally via a lipid-formulated bait (n = 5), orally in liquid form (n = 5), and subcutaneously (n = 6) were evaluated over time after vaccination and after experimental challenge with virulent M. bovis and were compared to the responses …

Evaluation Of Blood Assays For Detection Of Mycobacterium Bovis In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In Michigan, Daniel J. O’Brien, Stephen M. Schmitt, Konstantin P. Lyashchenko, W. Ray Waters, Dale E. Berry, Mitchell V. Palmer, Jim Mcnair, Rena Greenwald, Javan Esfandiari, Melinda K. Cosgrove

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

Surveillance and control activities related to bovine tuberculosis (TB) in free-ranging, Michigan white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been underway for over a decade, with significant progress. However, foci of higher TB prevalence on private lands and limited agency ability to eliminate them using broad control strategies have led to development and trial of new control strategies, such as live trapping, testing, and culling or release. Such strategies require a prompt, accurate live animal test, which has thus far been lacking. We report here the ability of seven candidate blood assays to determine the TB infection status of Michigan …

Tuberculosis: A Re-Emerging Disease In Animals And Humans, Charles O. Thoen, Philip A. Lobue, Donald A. Enarson, John B. Kaneene, Isabel N. De Kantor

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

Tuberculosis continues to be an important disease both in humans and animals. It causes morbidity, mortality, and economic loss worldwide. The occurrence of Mycobacterium bovis disease in humans, domesticated and wild animals confirms the relevance of this zoonosis. M. bovis in humans continues to be reported in industrialized countries and in immigrants from regions of the world where tuberculosis in cattle is endemic. The real incidence of M. bovis in humans in developing countries continues to be roughly underestimated due to the scarcity of appropriate laboratory facilities to isolate and to differentiate M. bovis strains. In Latin America, less than …

Swine Immunity And Genetic Resistance To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus (Prrsv) Infection, Joan K. Lunney, Derek Petry, Rodger Johnson, Daniel Kuhar, Ramon Molina, Jane Christopher-Hennings, Jeffrey Zimmerman, R. R. R. Rowland

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Current vaccines are only partially effective against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus infection because they elicit a weak immune response that is not fully protective. PRRS is the most economically significant disease facing the swine industry today, costing U.S. pork producers at least $560 million annually. Despite substantial research efforts the exact components of a protective anti-PRRSV immune response are still not known, thus we are testing alternate approaches to evaluate immunity and genetic resistance to PRRSV. We used host genomics to compare different lines of pigs and look for factors that correlated with PRRSV resistance/ susceptibility. Viremia, …

Innate Immune Responses In The Central Nervous System Following Toll-Like Receptor (Tlr) 7 And Tlr9 Activation, Niranjan Babu Butchi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Activation of astrocytes and microglia and the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines are often associated with virus infection in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as a number of neurological diseases of unknown etiology. These inflammatory responses may be initiated by recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns that stimulate toll-like receptors (TLRs). Recent studies demonstrated that TLR9 family receptors play a role in neuropathogenesis and the agonists of these receptors may be used in therapeutics treatment of brain tumors and viral infections. However, we lack the basic understanding of how these receptors function in the CNS. In the present …

The Detection And Analysis Of Selected Pathogens In The Water Supply Of Dairy Cohort Herds., Niall Drummond

Theses

The issue of food safety is a growing concern to Irish agriculture and to the food industry. In the last twenty years, many novel pathogens, which can cause concern to the food industry, have been identified. Organisms such as Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) cause hemorrhagic colitis and Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which is the major cause of acute renal failure in children in many countries, and it’s presence in food is a cause of growing concern. Other pathogens causing concern are those implicated as causative agents of Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE) and these can be bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms.

Consumption …

Effects Of Clenbuterol On Skeletal And Cardiac Muscle In Horses, Jessica Thompson

LSU Master's Theses

Clenbuterol is a commonly prescribed β2-adrenergic agonist approved for veterinary use as a bronchodilator in horses with reactive and obstructive airway disease. Potential for abuse of this drug in the horse industry is substantial, due to the perceptions that clenbuterol increases performance and lean muscle mass. Although anabolic effects have been confirmed in multiple species, recent studies into the effects of clenbuterol in exercising horses suggest that clenbuterol doses within therapeutic ranges negatively impact aerobic capacity and cardiac function. Results of studies in murine models demonstrate that clenbuterol directly induces skeletal and cardiac muscle cell death at high doses. Three …

Chondrocyte Death In Canine Osteochondral Explants Exposed To 0.5 Percent Bupivacaine, Geoffrey Stuart Hennig

LSU Master's Theses

Objective: Our in vitro study evaluated chondrocyte death in canine articular cartilage exposed to 0.5% bupivacaine without (B) and with methylparaben (BP) and compared the viability with intact (SI) and mechanically debrided surfaces (SR). We hypothesized that B or BP would cause chondrocyte death in vitro in a time dependent manner and that chondrocyte death would be increased in SI osteochondral cores compared to SR. Materials and Methods: Intact cartilage cores with underlying subchondral bone were collected aseptically from both humeral heads of 16 fresh canine cadavers. Joints from each dog were randomly assigned to SI or SR. Ten osteochondral …

Influence Of Tick Transmission On The Host Response To Rickettsial Infection, Soma Chowdhury

LSU Master's Theses

Several members of the spotted fever group (SFG) of Rickettsia are transmitted to the host through infected ixodid (hard) ticks, which can serve as both vectors and reservoirs. Multiple studies have demonstrated that ticks secrete proteins into the bite site of the host that suppress innate and adaptive immune responses. While this suppression of immune responses is beneficial to the tick, it may also be beneficial to the transmitted Rickettsia. We hypothesize that Rickettsia utilize the tick’s ability to alter the host immune response at the tick feeding site to successfully establish infection. In the current study, we analyzed how …

Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (Qpcr) Assay As A Molecular Tool To Assess Rickettsial Replications In Tick Hosts, Andrea S. Zanetti

LSU Master's Theses

During the past century, many species of the Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia (SFGR)have been described, especially, through the introduction of a variety of molecular techniques applied to detect rickettsiae inside of their host. In this study we developed a quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay (1) to characterize the growth and the distribution of a SFGR of unrecognized pathogenicity in naturally infected Amblyomma americanum ticks during physiological events; and (2) to terminate the influence of the host cell specificity in the replication patterns of recognized and unrecognized SFGR during a reciprocal rickettsiae challenge in both mammalian and tick cell …