In this experiment we will obseverve how the different doses of Lipopolysaccharide will affect the amount of infamation in rats.
The Independent Variable in the experiment is the dosage of Lipopolysaccharide, since the dosage is the variable producing a response of inflammation and is controlled by the experimenters.
The Dependent Variable in the experiment is the amount of inflammation caused by a response to the Lipopolysaccharide, since the inflammation is the variable being measured in the experiment and is directly affected by the Independent Variable, the drug dosage.
Experimental Design
Groups
There will be eleven groups of rats with ten rats per group. Each group of rats will be given a differnt dosage of lipopolysaccharide. Group 1 will be desagnated as the control group and will be given a 0mg dose of LPS (placebo). Groups 2 through 10 will be desagnated as the experimental groups. Group 2 will be given 10mg of LPS, Group 3 will be given 20mg of LPS, Group 4 will be give 30mg of LPS, Group 5 will be given 40mg of LPS, Group 6 will be given 50mg of LPS, Group 7 will be given 60mg of LPS, Group 8 will be given 70mg of LPS, Group 9 will be given 80mg of LPS, Group 10 will be given 90mg of LPS and the final 11th group will be given 100mg of LPS.
Number of subjects per group
Ten subjects(rats) per group.
Experimental Design Details:
The basis of the experimental design will be to use rats in order to observe the inflammatory effects of the lipopolysaccharide medication. The experiment will involve separating rats of similar kind into groups that each receive a different dosage of medication and then measuring the effects of the medication through a blood sample using the ELISA method. The causal question for this experiment will ask how large the response is for each dosage of lipopolysaccharide. It will be hypothesized that the higher the dosage, the more inflammation will occur up to a certain point at which the response threshold will be weakened or the dosage will be considered lethal. The the control group for the experiment will not be receiving any of the medication and the experimental groups will receive dosages in intervals of 10 starting at 10mg up to 100mg. It is predicted that if the dosage is increased, the inflammation amount will also result in an increase.
Subject Selection
The experiment will be constructed through an animal model, using white lab rats as subjects. Subjects will be homogenized to reduce variability; all rats chosen as subjects will be six weeks old, white, male, fed an identical diet, and exercise at regular intervals. A total of 110 subjects will be included in the experiment, split into groups of ten.
Sources of Error and Bias
The most common source of error is through the person conducting the experiment. This includes taking the wrong measurement, recording incorrect data, and being inconsistent with being up to date with the experiment at hand. The only way to control this potential problem is to be more observant throughout the experiment. Along with human error, the dosage of the lipopolysaccharide injected into the test subjects could be insufficient to the results of the experiment. Again, the only way to control this is to be as careful as possible when preparing the doses for each individual involved with the experiment. Another error is the gathering of different subjects with different living conditions could affect the results. This includes the gender roles, age, and existing health conditions. To control this, the gathered subjects must be tested on how healthy they are and their actions to sustain life. An older subject with multiple health conditions would be turned down compared to a younger, healthier subject.
BME 100 Fall 2013
