Introduction: The objective of the study was immunophenotypic and cytogenetic analysis of mesenchymal stem cells from equine bone marrow and foal umbilical cords during in vitro culture.
Material and Methods: The mesenchymal stem cells were obtained from equine bone marrow of three horses and from foal umbilical cords of six foals. The cells were cultured in CO2 incubators by standard procedure. Quantitative abnormalities of chromosomes, i.e. aneuploidy and polyploidy, and structural aberrations, i.e. breaks in chromosomes and chromatid, were taken into account during the study.
Results: The results of cytogenetic analysis of equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells at the third and fourth passages indicated that the level of karyotype variability of these cells corresponded to the spontaneous level of karyotype variability typical of the peripheral blood lymphocytes of this species. Equine bone marrow contained several clones of stem cells that differed in the expression of specific nuclear markers characteristic of proliferating cells.
Conclusion: Mesenchymal stem cells from foal umbilical cords during in vitro cultivation are characterised by quantitative abnormalities of the chromosomal apparatus.
