54th ANNUAL
CUMBERLAND PLATEAU REGIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR
TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE
April 4-5, 2007
Sample Abstracts
BIODIVERSITY OF STRONGYLE SPECIES IN EQUIDS: CONSTANT IVERMECTIN
VS. ABSENCE OF DEWORMING REGIMEN
Leann Little
The objective of this experiment was to compare the biodiversity
of strongyle species of equids on a regulated deworming schedule using ivermectin
(with the exception of the past seven months to allow for reinfestation) versus
those with no deworming history. The strongyle species to be observed
were Strongylus vulgaris, Strongylus edentatus, Strontgylus equinus, and
small strongyles (cyathosomes).
To perform this investigation, fecal samples were taken from fourteen
different horses. Seven of these horses had been on a regulated deworming
schedule and the other seven had no deworming history. The strongyles
were retrieved from the samples using laboratory coproculture techniques and
were then viewed under a microscope at 40X magnification. Strongyles
were classified according to size, pattern, and number of intestinal
cells.
After all calculations were completed, the group of equids that
were on a regulated deworming schedule using ivermectin had the following
total of each parasite: Strongylus vulgaris-0; Strongylus edentatus-10;
Strongylus equinus-0; small strongyles-380. The seven horses that had
no deworming history prior to experimentation had the following total of each
strongyle species: Strongylus vulgaris-120; Strongylus edentatus-340;
Strongylus equinus-0; small strongyles-730. This data indicates that
the populations of Strongylus vulgaris and Strongylus edentatus were, in fact,
significantly larger in equids with no deworming history. However, the
same data also proves that the level of small strongyles were much lower in
horses who had been on a regulated deworming program with ivermectin. No
members of the Strongylus equinus species were present in either population
of horses involved in this study.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NEUTROPHIL FUNCTION AND INTERLEUKIN 8 RECEPTON GENOTYPE
IN DAIRY COWS
Kari M. Jones
Mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary gland, is a disease costing
the dairy industry over two billion dollars annually. It affects not
only the quantity of milk produced, but also the quality of milk. A
possible step in the resolution of mastitis could be the ability to identify
the genotypes in cattle that are more susceptible to the disease. It
appears that cattle of differing genotypes do indeed vary in their susceptibility
to mastitis. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the killing
ability of neutrophils from cows of different genotypes through a reactive
oxygen species genertion assay. This was done to determine the migration
and intensity of neutrophil function from the different genotypes. Once
the migration and intensity were measured, the relationship between the function
of the neutrophils and the Interleukin 8 receptor genotypes could be determined.
There appears to be changes in the SNP+777 of the CRCX2 gene. In
this research, the cows with the genotype CG proved to be more susceptible
than the GG Genotype cattle as indicated by the Interleukin 8 receptor GG
genotypes reacting not only to lower levels of immune response by these cows.
Further research to determin why this difference is significant appears
justified and suggested in order to be able to treat these animals more efficiently.
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