Janice Williams

Chondrocytic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells sequentially exposed to transforming growth factor‐β1 in monolayer and insulin‐like growth factor‐I in a three‐dimensional matrix

This study evaluated chondrogenesis of mesenchymal progenitor stem cells (MSCs) cultured initially under pre‐confluent monolayer conditions exposed to transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), and subsequently in three‐dimensional cultures containing insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I). Bone marrow aspirates and chondrocytes were obtained from horses and cultured in monolayer with 0 or 5 ng of TGF‐β1 per ml of medium for 6 days. TGF‐β1 treated and untreated cultures were distributed to three‐dimensional fibrin disks containing 0 or 100 ng of IGF‐I per ml of medium to establish four treatment groups. After 13 days, cultures were assessed by toluidine blue staining, collagen types I and II in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, proteoglycan production by [Chondrocytic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells sequentially exposed to transforming growth factor‐β1 in monolayer and insulin‐like growth factor‐I in a three‐dimensional matrix35S]‐sulfate incorporation, and disk DNA content by fluorometry. Mesenchymal cells in monolayer cultures treated with TGF‐β1 actively proliferated for the first 4 days, developed cellular rounding, and formed cell clusters. Treated MSC cultures had a two‐fold increase in medium proteoglycan content. Pretreatment of MSCs with TGF‐β1 followed by exposure of cells to IGF‐I in three‐dimensional culture significantly increased the formation of markers of chondrocytic function including disk proteoglycan content and procollagen type II mRNA production. However, proteoglycan and procollagen type II production by MSCs remained lower than parallel chondrocyte cultures. MSC pretreatment with TGF‐β1 without sequential IGF‐I was less effective in initiating expression of markers of chondrogenesis. This study indicates that although MSC differentiation was less than complete when compared to mature chondrocytes, chondrogenesis was observed in IGF‐I supplemented cultures, particularly when used in concert with TGF‐β1 pretreatment.

Calcium excretion in feces of ungulates.

1. Fecal excretion of calcium was examined in 122 individual ungulates representing 7 species of Equidae, 3 species of Tapiridae, 3 species of Rhinocerotidae, 2 species of Elephantidae, 2 species of Hippopotamidae, 12 species of Bovidae, 2 species of Cervidae, 3 species of Camellidae and 1 species of Giraffidae. 2. Animals were fed timothy hay, a low calcium diet or alfalfa hay, a high calcium diet. 3. In a few cases oat straw or prairie hay was used instead of timothy hay. 4. Samples of feces were obtained from individuals daily for 4 days following a 20 day dietary equilibration period. 5. Feces of equids, tapirs, rhinoceros and elephants had a lower calcium concentration and a lower Ca/P ratio than feces of ruminants when the animals were fed diets of equivalent calcium content. 6. The findings suggest that the non-ruminant ungulate equids, tapirs, rhinoceros and elephants absorb a larger proportion of dietary calcium than ruminants do.

A comparison of the mineral composition of milk of domestic and captive wild equids (Equus przewalski, E. zebra, E. burchelli, E. caballus, E. assinus)

Milk samples were obtained in early and/or late lactation from Przewalski horses, Hartmanns zebras, Grants zebras, domestic horses, ponies and a mule mare made pregnant by embryo transfer. Samples were compared for their content of total solids, ash, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc and iron. Milk from the Przewalski horses, Hartmanns zebra and the domestic horse had similar mineral composition and the content of minerals was higher in early than in late lactation. Milk from the domestic mule contained the lowest concentration of calcium, phosphorus and zinc but the highest concentration of magnesium, sodium and potassium. Milk from the Grants zebras contained more sodium than potassium, unlike milk from Przewalski horses, Hartmanns zebras or domestic horses in which there was more potassium than sodium.