Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the accumulation of Lew[...]

Manganese (Mn) is a ubiquitous essential metal; however, overexposures lead to adverse neurological consequences. The majority of Mn rodent exposure studies utilize males[...]

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) is an irrecoverable skeletal muscle injury that leads to permanent functional deficits and long-term disability. It affects both military and[...]

Salmonella enterica is among the most common causes of healthcare-associated infections in horses. Outbreaks in veterinary hospitals and other equine facilities are often[...]

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELL (SMC) PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION CONTRIBUTES TO SEVERAL VASCULAR DISEASES, SUCH AS ATHEROSCLEROSIS, POST-TRANSPLANT VASCULOPATHY, RESTENOSIS AFT[...]

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation is an important process during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. However, molecular mechanisms controlling VSMC differentiation ar[...]

Inflammation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome and several neurological disorders; evidence is also mounting for long-term aftereffects of [...]

The present study was to improve the success for the cryopreservation of stallion spermatozoa, especially as the costs of using low post-thaw motility or sub-optimal fert[...]

The primary objectives stemming from this project were to characterize fully both the equineadenosine A2A (eA2A-R) and A3 (eA3-R) receptors to determine if they would be [...]

Obesity and insulin resistance is a growing problem in people and in cats. Insulin resistance is defined as a condition in which the magnitude of the biological response[...]

As in man, obesity is a risk factor for many diseases including diabetes mellitus. The cat is an important and unique model for the study of obesity and its progression t[...]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent cells that reside primarily in the mammalian bone marrow. They possess self-renewal capacity and the ability to differentiat[...]

The overall aim of the studies presented herein were to investigate the intra-articular use of allogeneic bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in horses for[...]

The objective of this dissertation was to produce three of the human homocysteine metabolizing enzymes, cystathionine -synthase (CBS), cystathionine -lyase (CGL) and be[...]

Fumonisin B1 (FB1), a toxic metabolite of Fusarium verticillioides, is a carcinogen and causative agent of various animal diseases. Our previous studies indicated the inv[...]

Primary granule cell degeneration (PGD) is an autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia that has been described in Jack Russell Terriers. This ataxia differs from existing mo[...]

Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A), known to produce neuromuscular paralysis (botulism) with extremely high potency is also a well-established therapeutic agent use[...]

Both environmental and genetic factors can affect female puberty and reproduction. In Chapter 1, these factors with focuses on one environmental factor, genistein, and on[...]

Atrazine (ATR) is a widely used chlorotriazine herbicide. Available experimental evidence and computational tools are insufficient for proper assessment of ATRs risk to h[...]

Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) activates inflammatory cells by interacting with a cellular receptor complex consisting of cluster differentiation antigen 14 (CD14), [...]

Hypercholesterolemia contributes to the progression of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and hypertension in humans. Normotensive hypercholesterolemic patients dev[...]

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is mycotoxin produced by Fusarium verticillioides (formerly F. moniliforme), a fungal contaminant of corn and other cereals found worldwide. Fumonisin [...]

Botulinum toxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man. Ironically, it is the toxins specificity for cholinergic nerve terminals, its ubiquitous nature, and ex[...]

Antillatoxin (ATX) is a lipopeptide produced by the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula. Atx, a Na+ channel activator, produces N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor [...]

Involvement of the hippocampus in learning and memory is well known. Despite maintaining a uniform intrinsic circuitry throughout the structure, there are evidences for s[...]