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Topic:Collagen
Collagen is a structural protein found abundantly in the connective tissues of horses, including skin, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It contributes to the strength and elasticity of these tissues, playing a significant role in maintaining structural integrity. Collagen fibers are composed of amino acid chains, primarily glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which form a triple helix structure. In horses, collagen is involved in various physiological processes, including tissue repair and regeneration. Changes in collagen composition and structure can be associated with conditions such as joint disorders and tendon injuries. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the synthesis, function, and clinical implications of collagen in equine health.
Age-related changes of tendon fibril micro-morphology and gene expression. Aging is hypothesized to be associated with changes in tendon matrix composition which may lead to alteration of tendon material properties and hence propensity to injury. Altered gene expression may offer insights into disease pathophysiology and thus open new perspectives toward designing pathophysiology-driven therapeutics. Therefore, the current study aimed at identifying naturally occurring differences in tendon micro-morphology and gene expression of newborn, young and old horses. Age-related differences in the distribution pattern of tendon fibril thickness and in the expression of the ...
Comparison of the Chondrogenic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Bone Marrow and Umbilical Cord Blood Intended for Cartilage Tissue Engineering. Osteoarthritis (OA) remains incurable in humans or horses and mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) represent an attractive solution for producing a neocartilage substitute. However, the best MSC source still needs to be identified. This study compared the chondrogenic potential of equine MSCs derived from bone marrow (BM) and umbilical cord blood (UCB), at their undifferentiated status to check if one cell source is better proned, and after chondrogenic-induced differentiation. Chondrogenesis was induced by culture in collagen scaffold with BMP-2 + TGF-ß1 in hypoxia or normoxia. MSCs cho...
Clinical and histopathological comparative study of two equine-derived bone graft: a human study. To compare the performance of collagenated bone graft substances with different collagen ratios after sinus floor augmentation. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, from September 2011 to September 2013. Sinus floor augmentation was done with two different equinederived xenografts in patients before dental implant application. Of the two randomised groups, one was treated with 100% collagenated bone mix (Group A), and the other half with 90% collagenated bone mix + 10% collagen gel (Group B).Six months after sinus augmentation, prior to dent...
The association between collagen and bone biomarkers and radiographic osteoarthritis in the distal tarsal joints of horses. Osteoarthritis (OA) of the distal intertarsal (DIT) and tarsometatarsal (TMT) joints occurs commonly. Synovial fluid (SF) biomarkers of collagen and bone turnover have potential clinical value. Objective: To measure SF biomarker concentrations from DIT and TMT joints in adult horses and determine if they correlate with radiographic OA severity and are higher in joints with radiographic OA compared to controls. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Radiographic OA of DIT and TMT joints was evaluated from adult horses (5-35 years old). Overall radiographic scores divided horses into those with mil...
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and histological hoof wall assessment of 3-year-old Quarter Horses. Few noninvasive methods are available for equine hoof wall evaluation. The highly organised wall structures and composition of proteoglycans and collagens may make this region amenable to quantitative MRI (qMRI) techniques of T1ρ and T2 mapping to identify pathology related to proteoglycan content and collagen organisation respectively. Objective: To establish normative T1ρ and T2 values of the equine hoof wall of 3-year-old Quarter Horses with histological comparison. Methods: Cadaveric anatomical study. Methods: Six cadaveric left thoracic feet from 3-year-old racing Quarter Horses with no...
Collagens and DNA methyltransferases in mare endometrosis. Inflammation and fibroproliferative diseases may be modulated by epigenetic changes. Therefore, we suggest that epigenetic mechanisms could be involved in equine endometrosis pathogenesis. DNA methylation is one of the methods to evaluate epigenetics, through the transcription of methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B). The correlation between DNMTs and collagen (COL) transcripts was assessed for the different Kenney and Doig's (Current Therapy in Theriogenology. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1986) endometrium categories. Endometrial biopsies were randomly collected from cyclic mares. Histolog...
Cyclical cervical function in the mare involves remodelling of collagen content, which is correlated with modification of oestrogen receptor 1 abundance. This study was conducted to elucidate mare cervical dilation mechanisms by testing two hypotheses: (i) the proportion of collagen staining in histological samples of mare cervices and (ii) the abundance of hormone receptors in the equine cervix differ with stage of the oestrous cycle and site within the cervix. Tissues and jugular vein blood samples were collected from 15 mares. Collagen content was assessed using Masson's Trichome staining. Receptor abundance was assessed using RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. In sub-epithelial stroma, there was less collagen during the follicular th...
Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiables, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate Combination Inhibits Proinflammatory COX-2 Expression and Prostaglandin E2 Production in Tendon-Derived Cells. Tendinopathy, a common disorder in man and horses, is characterized by pain, dysfunction, and tendon degeneration. Inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of tendinopathy. Tendon cells produce proinflammatory molecules that induce pain and tissue deterioration. Currently used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are palliative but have been associated with adverse side effects prompting the search for safe, alternative compounds. This study determined whether tendon-derived cells' expression of proinflammatory cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE) could be a...
Comparison of tensile properties of xenopericardium from three animal species and finite element analysis for bioprosthetic heart valve tissue. Bioprosthetic heart valves still have poor long-term durability due to calcification and mechanical failure. The function and performance of bioprostheses is known to depend on the collagen architecture and mechanical behavior of the target tissue. So it is necessary to select an appropriate tissue for such prostheses. In this study, porcine, equine, and bovine pericardia were compared histologically and mechanically. The specimens were analyzed under light microscopy. The planar biaxial tests were performed on the tissue samples by applying synchronic loads along the axial (fiber direction) a...
Investigations of Processing-Induced Structural Changes in Horse Type-I Collagen at Sub and Supramolecular Levels. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of different extraction and material processing protocols on the collagen structure and hierarchical organization of equine tendons. Wide and Small Angle X-ray Scattering investigations on raw powders and thin films revealed that not only the extraction and purification treatments, but also the processing conditions may affect the extent of the protein crystalline domain and induce a nanoscale "shield effect." This is due to the supramolecular fiber organization, which protects the atomic scale structure from the modifications that occur during f...
Enhanced chondrogenic differentiation of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in zirconia microwell substrata. In human cartilage tissue engineering, three-dimensional zirconia substrata have the potential advantage of producing many uniform cell clusters of controlled size without xenobiotic material, allowing easy clinical application. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using zirconia porous three-dimensional microwell substrata for chondrogenic differentiation of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) in vitro. In regular medium, 8 × 10, 2 × 10, and 5 × 10 equine BMMSCs from five thoroughbred horses were cultured on zirconia microwell su...
Evaluation of the Structure of Myodural Bridges in an Equine Model of Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. Myodural bridges have been described in various species as connective tissue structures "bridging" small cranio-cervical muscles to the dura. Myodural bridges are thought to stabilize the dural sac during head and neck movements and promote cerebrospinal fluid motion; however, their role in neurological diseases has not yet been established. We report ultrasonographic visualization, necropsy, histopathologic and ultrastructural findings of myodural bridges in horses with hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA), an equine model of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Five HERDA and 5 control hor...
Donkey pericardium compares favorably with commercial xenopericardia used in the manufacture of transcatheter heart valves. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has gained considerable acceptance in the past decade due to its lower risks than conventional open-heart surgery. However, the deformation and delamination of the leaflets during the crimping procedure have raised questions about the durability and long-term serviceability of the pericardium tissue from which the leaflets are made. The collagen architecture, wall thickness and mechanical properties of donkey pericardium were investigated to assess its suitability as an alternative material for the manufacture of heart valves. Coupons sampled from...
Effect of proinflammatory cytokines on endometrial collagen and metallopeptidase expression during the course of equine endometrosis. Equine endometrosis (endometrial fibrosis) is a degenerative chronic process that occurs in the uterus of the mare and disturbs proper endometrial function. Fibrosis is attributed to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The turnover of ECM is mediated by matrix metallopeptidases (MMP). Previously, it was shown that cytokines modulate MMP expression in other tissues and may regulate fibrosis indirectly by attracting inflammatory cells to the site of inflammation and directly on various tissues. However, the regulation of MMP expression in equine endometrosis is still r...
The effect of hypoxia on chondrogenesis of equine synovial membrane-derived and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Joint injury is extremely common in equine athletes and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), a progressive and debilitating disease, is estimated to affect 60% of horses in the USA. The limited potential for intrinsic healing of articular cartilage has prompted intense efforts to identify a cell-based repair strategy to prevent progression of PTOA. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to become an ideal source for cell-based treatment of cartilage lesions; however, full chondrogenic differentiation remains elusive. Due to the relatively low oxygen tension in articular cartilage, h...
Urinary Bladder Matrix Does Not Improve Tenogenesis in an In Vitro Equine Model. Extracellular matrix (ECM) is responsible for tendon strength and elasticity. Healed tendon ECM lacks structural integrity, leading to reinjury. Porcine urinary bladder matrix (UBM) provides a scaffold and source of bioactive proteins to improve tissue healing, but has received limited attention for treating tendon injuries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of UBM to induce matrix organization and tenogenesis using a novel in vitro model. We hypothesized that addition of UBM to tendon ECM hydrogels would improve matrix organization and cell differentiation. Hydrogels se...
How do GTR and GBR Differ? A Periodontitis Case Treated Using an Equine-derived, Enzyme-deantigenic, Collagenpreserving Bone Graft, and Collagen Membranes. The present case illustrates how a tooth, which had a highly questionable prognosis, was preserved by carrying out a periodontal regeneration surgery. Background: Treatment of periodontitis involves a careful consideration of all the factors that may allow the achievement of a favorable outcome; among those, the skillful use of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes is of paramount importance. Methods: A 39-year-old patient presented with a mobile central upper incisor due to severe periodontitis and was treated according to GTR principles using a collagen membrane. A collagen-preserving b...
Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction and Cultured Stromal Cells as Trophic Mediators for Tendon Healing. Adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is a heterogeneous population of cells that yields a homogeneous population of plastic-adherent adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASC) when culture-expanded. SVF and ASC have been used clinically to improve tendon healing, yet their mechanism of action is not fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential for ASC to act as trophic mediators for tendon healing. Flexor digitorum superficialis tendons and adipose tissue were harvested from adult horses to obtain SVF, ASC, and tenocytes. Growth factor gene expressi...
Soft Palate Modification Using a Collagen Crosslinking Reagent for Equine Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate and Other Upper Airway Breathing Disorders. The mechanical properties of the soft palate can be associated with breathing abnormalities. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is a naturally occurring equine soft palate disorder caused by displacement of the caudal edge of the soft palate. Snoring and a more serious, sometimes life-threatening, condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are forms of sleep-related breathing disorders in humans which may involve the soft palate. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of injecting the protein crosslinker genipin into the soft palate to modify its mechanical propert...
Subchondral bone cyst surgical treatment using the application of stem progenitor cells combined with alginate hydrogel in small joints in horses. One of the most common reasons for horse lameness is subchondral bone cysts (SBCs), which are especially evident in young horse athletes. It is believed that SBC development is strongly associated with an individual's bone growth and/or bone microstructure impairment. Current methods of SBC treatment include pharmacological treatment or surgical procedures which may allow the bone within the cyst to rebuild and be restored to properly developed bone tissue. Thus, we propose filling the SBCs with a 3D complex of alginate hydrogel and autologous adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs). We ...
Equine lung decellularization: a potential approach for in vitro modeling the role of the extracellular matrix in asthma. Contrary to conventional research animals, horses naturally develop asthma, a disease in which the extracellular matrix of the lung plays a significant role. Hence, the horse lung extracellular matrix appears to be an ideal candidate model for in vitro studying the mechanisms and potential treatments for asthma. However, so far, such model to study cell-extracellular matrix interactions in asthma has not been developed. The aim of this study was to establish a protocol for equine lung decellularization that maintains the architecture of the extracellular matrix and could be used in the future ...
Impairment of the antifibrotic prostaglandin E2 pathway may influence neutrophil extracellular traps-induced fibrosis in the mare endometrium. Prostaglandin E (PGE) has contradictory effects in many organs. It may have proinflammatory, anti-inflammatory, or anti-fibrotic roles, depending on the type of receptors to which it binds. By signaling through its receptors EP2 and EP4, PGE mediates anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic actions. In spite of chronic endometrial fibrosis (endometrosis) being a major cause of mare infertility, its pathogenesis is not fully understood. We have shown that contact of mare endometrium in vitro with neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) proteases favors endometrial collagen type I production. Therefor...
Diffusion of charged and uncharged contrast agents in equine mandibular condylar cartilage is not affected by an increased level of sugar-induced collagen crosslinking. Nutrition of articular cartilage relies mainly on diffusion and convection of solutes through the interstitial fluid due to the lack of blood vessels. The diffusion is controlled by two factors: steric hindrance and electrostatic interactions between the solutes and the matrix components. Aging comes with changes in the cartilage structure and composition, which can influence the diffusion. In this study, we treated fibrocartilage of mandibular condyle with ribose to induce an aging-like effect by accumulating collagen crosslinks. The effect of steric hindrance or electrostatic forces on the d...
Effect of transforming growth factor -β1 on α-smooth muscle actin and collagen expression in equine endometrial fibroblasts. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 not only regulates cell growth, development, and tissue remodeling, but it also participates in the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis. In the equine endometrium, the concentration of TGF-β1 is correlated with endometrosis (equine endometrial fibrosis). In other tissues, TGF-β1 induces differentiation of many cell types into myofibroblasts. These cells are characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression and an ability to deposit excessive amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The aim of the study was to determine whether TGF-β1 plays...
Growth Factor-Mediated Tenogenic Induction of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Is Altered by the Microenvironment of Tendon Matrix. Age-related degenerative changes in tendon tissue represent a common cause for acute tendon pathologies. Although the regenerative potential of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) was reported to restore functionality in injured tendon tissue, cellular mechanisms of action remain partly unclear. Potential tenogenic differentiation of applied MSC is affected by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The current study presents an in vitro model to evaluate the combined extrinsic effects of decellularized equine tendon matrix, transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFβ3) and bone morphoge...
Elastase inhibition affects collagen transcription and prostaglandin secretion in mare endometrium during the estrous cycle. We have shown that bacteria induce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in mare endometrium. Besides killing pathogens, NETs may contribute for endometrosis (chronic endometrium fibrosis). Since elastase (ELA) is a NETs component that regulates fibrosis and prostaglandin (PG) output, the aim was to evaluate if inhibition of ELA would affect collagen 1 (COL1) transcription and PGs secretion by endometrium explants, in different estrous cycle phases. Follicular-FP (n = 8) and mid luteal-MLP (n = 7) phases explants were cultured for 24-48 hr with medium alone (Control), ELA (0.5 μg/ml,1 ...
Endotoxin-induced changes of type VII collagen- cleaving matrix metalloproteinases in lamellar tissue of extracorporeally perfused equine limbs. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on type VII collagen- cleaving matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the lamellar tissue of extracorporeally perfused equine limbs. SAMPLE 10 right forelimbs and 3 left forelimbs collected from 10 adult horses after slaughter at a licensed abattoir. PROCEDURES Extracorporeal perfusion of the isolated equine limbs was performed for 10 hours under physiologic conditions (control-perfused limbs; n = 5) and with the addition of 80 ng of LPS/L of perfusate (LPS-perfused limbs; 5). Lamellar tissue specimens were then collected from the do...
Polymorphisms in selected genes and analysis of their relationship with osteochondrosis in Polish sport horse breeds. The aim of this research was to evaluate the polymorphisms of selected genes and to find their potential effect on the occurrence of osteochondrosis in Polish Warmbloods (sport horse breeds). The study was conducted on a group of 198 horses subjected to official performance tests. Investigated joints-fetlock, hock and stifle-were X-rayed twice, once before and again at the end of the tests (first and second examination), and on this basis the degree of disease was evaluated. Based on the results of previous research, 13 candidate genes potentially associated with the occurrence of osteochondro...
Aging does not change the compressive stiffness of mandibular condylar cartilage in horses. Aging can cause an increase in the stiffness of hyaline cartilage as a consequence of increased protein crosslinks. By induction of crosslinking, a reduction in the diffusion of solutions into the hyaline cartilage has been observed. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the effects of aging on the biophysical and biochemical properties of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) cartilage. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the biophysical properties (thickness, stiffness, and diffusion) of the TMJ condylar cartilage of horses of different ages and their correlation with biochemical p...
Assessment of effectiveness and safety of repeat administration of proinflammatory primed allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells in an equine model of chemically induced osteoarthritis. This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness and safety of repeated administrations of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) primed with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon-γ in an equine model of chemically-induced osteoarthritis. Arthritis was induced in both radio-carpal (RC)-joints by amphotericin-B in 18 ponies, divided into three groups depending on the treatment injected: MSC-naïve (n = 7), MSC-primed (n = 7) and control (n = 4). The study consisted of two phases and used one RC-joint of each animal in each phase, with four months tim...
