Scope and Method of Study: In vitro study of cellular immune function

Findings and Conclusions: The project yielded important data for the establishment of a reptile model of study for innate immune functions. The areas of respiratory burst, endocytosis and chemotaxis were explored, as well as model-specific investigations of hibernation recovery and crowding. Phagocytic activity, superoxide production and acid phosphatase production were all quantifiable and exceeded preliminary expectations. Assays yielding poorer results have been addressed and explained to a reasonable level. It is considered that a larger model might provide a better yield for the in vitro work described, but is also noted that this would lead to other problems (housing and expense). The tissue origin and the activation state of the macrophage cells might have negatively impacted some assays and this would also likely be alleviated by a larger reptile model.