BACKGROUND: Open wounds affecting the distal part of limbs are commonly seen in horses. Due to certain factors, such as limited connective tissue available, potentiated growth of excessive granulation tissue, risk of contamination, and poor response to common treatments, healing of these wounds becomes a major problem for veterinarians on a number of occasions. Application of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) for enhancing wound healing has received a great deal of scientific attention. Among the MSCs, those derived from adipose tissue are frequently used owing to their availability, large number of cells after the primary harvest, and the capacity to differentiate to different cell lines.OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to evaluate type 1 and 3 collagen genes expression in horse distal limb wounds treated via adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and its comparison with bone marrow-derived stem cells.METHODS: After treatment of the experimental open wounds created in the distal limbs of four horses via autologous MSCs, real-time PCR was used for evaluating and comparing the expression of type I and III collagen genes in the healing wounds.RESULTS: Significant differences in the expression of type I and III collagen genes were observed between the treatment groups. Despite the fact that the greatest collagen genes expression belonged to bone marrow-derived MSCs, no significant differences were seen with adipose-derived MSCs.CONCLUSIONS: Owing to the advantages and an acceptable performance, adipose-derived MSCs could be considered as a novel approach to enhancing limb wound healing in horses.

Bone marrow fibroblast colony-forming units (CFU-F) were evaluated in cats experimentally infected with different isolates of FeLV. Cats infected with the Kawakami-Theilen isolate of FeLV (FeLV-KT) had progressive decrease in the number of CFU-F at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after infection. The number of CFU-F in FeLV-KT-infected cats ranged from 38 to 70% of the preinoculation CFU-F value. Of 3 cats with FeLV-KT-induced suppression of CFU-F, 2 developed fatal nonregenerative anemia. Cats infected with the Rickard isolate of FeLV (FeLV-R) had more moderate decrease in the number of CFU-F at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after infection. The number of CFU-F in FeLV-R-infected cats ranged from 62 to 82% of the preinoculation CFU-F value. The FeLV-R-infected cats did not become anemic.

Introduction: Statins are pharmacological agents commonly used to lower serum cholesterol level. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of the statin simvastatin on thrombopoiesis in the porcine model because it is the closest to the human one regarding physiological and genetic similarities. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on a group of 32 pigs randomly divided into two equal groups: control and experimental. The pigs were treated for 28 and 56 days with simvastatin in a dose of 40 mg per day per animal. Cytological evaluation of bone marrow smears was performed to assess the average number of all types of cells during thrombopoiesis as was analysis of haematological parameters to assess PLT and MPV. Results: During the course of the experiment statistically significant changes in the number of promegakaryocytes were observed. Other parameters also showed some fluctuations during the study. However, these changes were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The obtained results clearly indicate a toxic influence of simvastatin on the process of thrombopoiesis and prove that statins reduce mean platelet volume, thus affecting the process of clot formation through the period of administration in a duration-dependent manner.

In recent years, the use of bone scaffolds as bone tissue substitutes, especially the use of such as hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate, has been very popular. Today, the use of modern engineering techniques and advances in nanotechnology have expanded the use of nanomaterials as bone scaffolds for bone tissue applications. This study was performed on 60 adult male New Zealand rabbits divided into four experimental groups: the control group without any treatment, the second group receiving hydroxyapatite, the third group treated with β-tricalcium phosphate, and the fourth group receiving nanocomposite polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold. In a surgical procedure, a defect 6 mm in diameter was made in a hind limb femur. Four indexes were used to assess histopathology, which were union index, spongiosa index, cortex index, and bone marrow. The results showed that nanocomposite PCL and control groups always had the respective highest and lowest values among all the groups at all time intervals. The histopathological assessment demonstrated that the quantity of newly formed lamellar bone in the nanocomposite PCL group was higher than in other groups. All these data suggest that PCL had positive effects on the bone healing process, which could have great potential in tissue engineering and clinical applications.

Due to the widely documented and diverse toxic effects of acrylamide, the authors decided to evaluate the impact of high and low doses of this compound on the process of granulopoiesis in porcine bone marrow.

Due to the widespread occurrence of acrylamide in the environment, its likely carcinogen status, and the suitability of the pig model as a human analogue, the authors decided to evaluate the impact of high and low doses of this compound on the processes of erythropoiesis in swine bone marrow. The experiment was carried out on Danish Landrace pigs at the age of eight weeks and body weight about 20 kg. The animals were divided into three equal groups consisting of five pigs in each. Control animals received empty gelatin capsules (placebos). Animals from the first experimental group received a low dose of acrylamide of 0.5 μg/kg b.w./day (> 99% purity; Sigma-Aldrich, Poland), and animals from the second experimental group received a dose 10 times higher. Placebos and acrylamide capsules were administered with feed every morning for 28 days. After anaesthetisation of the animals, bone marrow from the femur was collected into tubes without an anticoagulant on days 0 and 28. After drying and staining, bone marrow smears were subjected to detailed cytological evaluation using a light microscope. This study showed that high and low doses of acrylamide affected the process of porcine erythropoiesis. The cytotoxic effect of acrylamide on this process was demonstrated in a change of the polychromatic erythroblasts/normochromatic erythroblasts ratio. Both doses of acrylamide caused a decrease in the number of ortho- and polychromatic erythroblasts.

Introduction: Statins are pharmacological agents commonly used to lower serum cholesterol level. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of the statin simvastatin on thrombopoiesis in the porcine model because it is the closest to the human one regarding physiological and genetic similarities.

Simvastatin is a substance which is commonly used as a medicine to reduce cholesterol level. Unfortunately, it shows numerous side effects. Simvastatin affects various internal organs, and among other detriments to health may cause persistent muscle weakness, osteolytic processes, headaches, and rashes. Until now knowledge of the influence of simvastatin on bone marrow cells has been rather scant and fragmentary.

Simvastatin is a substance which is commonly used as a medicine to reduce cholesterol level. Unfortunately, it shows numerous side effects. Simvastatin affects various internal organs, and among other detriments to health may cause persistent muscle weakness, osteolytic processes, headaches, and rashes. Until now knowledge of the influence of simvastatin on bone marrow cells has been rather scant and fragmentary. During this experiment the numbers of all types of cells in the leukocytic system of porcine bone marrow were evaluated after 28 and 56 days of oral administration of simvastatin at a dose of 40 mg/day/animal. Simvastatin caused an increase in the number of all types of cells in the leukocytic system, and the most visible fluctuations concerned promyelocytes. Observations obtained during the present study indicated that the results of the action of simvastatin on porcine bone marrow differ from those observed in other mammal species, including human. This may be due to various metabolic pathways within the bone marrow in the particular species, but the exact mechanisms of these actions are unknown at the present time.