Characterization of equine adipose tissue-derived stromal cells: adipogenic and osteogenic capacity and comparison with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize equine adipose tissue-derived stromal cell (ASC) frequency and growth characteristics and assess of their adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential.


METHODS
In vitro experimental study.


METHODS
Horses (n=5; aged, 9 months to 5 years).


METHODS
Cell doubling characteristics of ASCs harvested from supragluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue were evaluated over 10 passages. Primary, second (P2), and fourth (P4) passage ASCs were induced under appropriate conditions to undergo adipogenesis and osteogenesis. Limit dilution assays were performed on each passage to determine the frequency of colony-forming units with a fibroblastic (CFU-F) phenotype and the frequency of ASC differentiation into the adipocyte (CFU-Ad) and osteoblast (CFU-Ob) phenotype.


RESULTS
ASC isolates exhibited an average cell-doubling time of 2.1+/-0.9 days during the first 10 cell doublings. Approximately 1 in 2.3+/-0.4 of the total stromal vascular fraction nucleated cells were ASCs, based on the CFU-F assays, and 1 in 3.6+/-1.3 expressed alkaline phosphatase, an osteogenic marker. Primary ASCs differentiated in response to adipogenic (1 in 4.9+/-5.4, CFU-Ad) and osteogenic (1 in <2.44, CFU-Ob) inductive conditions and maintained their differentiation potential during subsequent passages (P2 and P4).


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency, in vitro growth rate, and adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential of equine ASCs show some differences to those documented for ASCs in other mammalian species.


CONCLUSIONS
Adipose tissue is a potential source of adult stem cells for tissue engineering applications in equine veterinary medicine.
Vidal
Martin A
MA
Equine Health Studies Program, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. mvidal@vetmed.lsu.edu
Kilroy
Gail E
GE
Lopez
Mandi J
MJ
Johnson
Jill R
JR
Moore
Rustin M
RM
Gimble
Jeffrey M
JM
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D006736:Horses; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary