title: Comparison of equine tendon-, muscle-, and bone marrow-derived cells cultured on tendon matrix.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare viability and biosynthetic capacities of cells isolated from equine tendon, muscle, and bone marrow grown on autogenous tendon matrix.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cells from 4 young adult horses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cells were isolated, expanded, and cultured on autogenous cell-free tendon matrix for 7 days. Samples were analyzed for cell viability, proteoglycan synthesis, collagen synthesis, and mRNA expression of collagen type I, collagen type III, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tendon- and muscle-derived cells required less time to reach confluence (approx 2 weeks) than did bone marrow-derived cells (approx 3 to 4 weeks); there were fewer bone marrow-derived cells at confluence than the other 2 cell types. More tendon- and muscle-derived cells were attached to matrices after 7 days than were bone marrow-derived cells. Collagen and proteoglycan synthesis by tendon- and muscle-derived cells was significantly greater than synthesis by bone marrow-derived cells. On a per-cell basis, tendon-derived cells had more collagen synthesis, although this was not significant. Collagen type I mRNA expression was similar among groups. Tendon-derived cells expressed the highest amounts of collagen type III and COMP mRNAs, although the difference for COMP was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tendon- and muscle-derived cells yielded greater cell culture numbers in shorter time and, on a per-cell basis, had comparable biosynthetic assays to bone marrow-derived cells. More in vitro experiments with higher numbers may determine whether tendon-derived cells are a useful resource for tendon healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
authors.forename: Allison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Jennifer G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Byron
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.forename: Sushmitha S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Durgam
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000662:veterinary*; D003470:Culture Media; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D013710:Tendons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media