Honors Program
University Honors
Date of Award
12-2010
Thesis Professor(s)
Allan Forsman
Thesis Professor Department
Health Sciences
Thesis Reader(s)
Bert Lampson
Abstract
The hamster estrous cycle lasts four days and is considered to be a physiological model for angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the formation of new capillaries from preexisting vessels, and it occurs extensively during corpus luteum formation in the estrous cycle. Von Willebrand Factor (vWF) is a glycoprotein that is secreted uniquely in endothelial cells and megakaryocytes. It is frequently used as an endothelial cell marker and it is able to detect vessels within tissues when it is used in immunohistochemical staining techniques. This study explores von Willebrand Factor expression within Golden Hamster ovarian tissue. In particular, this study uses cage control and antiorthostatic cage suspension tissue. Antiorthostatic cage suspension is a model developed to mimic and study the physiological effects caused by microgravity, such as that experienced in space flight. It is hypothesized that simulated microgravity caused by antiorthostatic cage suspension would result in lower levels of vasculature and expression of vWF within ovarian tissue. Due to financial considerations, conclusive data was not obtained due to a lack of statistics. However, our study indicates that vasculature and vWF expression may be increased in antiorthostatic cage suspension tissue.
Document Type
Honors Thesis - Open Access
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Provchy, Kristan, "Von Willebrand Factor Expression in Vascular Endothelial Cells of Cage Control and Antiorthostatic Cage Suspension Golden Hamster Ovaries." (2010). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 7. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/7
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.