Influence of Incubation Time and Incubation Tube on the Cytokine and Growth Factor Concentrations of Autologous Conditioned Serum in Horses.

The research article aims to determine whether the amount of time that autologous conditioned serum (ACS) from horses incubates, as well as the type of tube used for incubation, affects the concentrations of certain proteins within the serum. The researchers found that extending the incubation period past 24 hours, or changing the type of incubation tube, does not significantly alter the concentrations of these proteins.

Objective and Process of the Study

• The research focused on testing the levels of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in ACS of horses. These substances are known to have an influence on osteoarthritis (OA), a common disease amongst horses.
• Testing was conducted on both control horses, and those naturally suffering from OA, to see if there was a difference between the two groups in terms of protein concentration in the ACS.
• The blood samples taken from these horses were split into parts that were incubated for 12, 24, and 36 hours.
• Additionally, the researchers compared results from traditional serum vacutainer glass tubes and a specialized equine ACS system.

Results and Conclusions

• The research concluded that increasing the incubation time beyond 24 hours did not significantly increase the ACS concentrations of IL-1ra, IL-1β, and IGF-1 in horses.
• Similarly, using different types of incubation tubes, whether commercial serum glass or specialized equine ACS systems, did not greatly alter the concentrations of these proteins.
• The study also found that these concentrations were not significantly higher in ACS from horses with OA, compared to controls. This suggests that the presence of OA does not mean higher concentrations of these proteins in the ACS.

This research helps to clarify how the preparation of ACS for treatment affects its protein concentrations, and verifies that potential effects of osteoarthritis on the protein concentration in ACS are minimal.