Abstract
Equine adult bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) may be induced into the tenogenic lineage after exposure with bone morphogenetic protein-12 (BMP-12). Despite fetal BM-MSCs have showed a greater differentiation potential compared to adults, the tenogenic differentiation capacity of equine fetal BM-MSC have not been reported. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro tenogenic differentiation potential of equine fetal BM-MSCs under the effect of BMP-12. Equine fetal BM-MSCs were exposed to three concentrations of BMP-12 (25, 50 and 100 ng/mL) during a 21-day culture period. Levels of mRNA of tenogenic markers decorin (DCN), tenomodulin (TNMD), scleraxis (SCX), collagen 1α1 (COL1α1) and protein expression of Col1α1 were evaluated. Plastic adherent cells exhibited specific MSC profile including expression of CD73 and lack of expression of CD34. Gene expression levels of DCN, TNMD, SCX and COL1α1 were increased in equine fetal BM-MSC exposed to three different concentrations of BMP-12 during a 21-day culture period. Equine fetal BM-MSCs displayed specific expression profiles suggesting features of MSCs and multipotent capacity. Furthermore, up-regulation of tenogenic markers DCN, TNMD, COL1α1 and SCX after exposure to different concentrations of BMP-12 suggests that equine fetal BM-MSCs have potential to activate selected genes that control tenogenic differentiation.