Platelet lysate obtained via plateletpheresis performed in standing and awake equine donors

Platelet preparations containing growth factors, attachment factors, and enzymes are appealing to enhance healing of injured tissues and as an alternative to xenogenic serum in cell culture media. Plateletpheresis is commonly used to collect platelets in human medicine but has not been validated in horses.

Plateletpheresis to collect platelet concentrate was performed on six female, mixed breed, chemically restrained horses using commercially available apheresis equipment. Before and immediately after plateletpheresis, we performed physical examinations and collected blood for chemistry and coagulation panels and then again at 8, 16, 24, and 48 hours after the procedure. To produce platelet lysate, the platelet concentrate underwent two freeze-thaw cycles followed by centrifugation and filtration processing. The platelet lysate was then analyzed for cellular debris, fibrinogen, and growth factors.

The collected platelet concentration contained a mean platelet yield of 390 × 10³ /μL. Donor platelet count decreased from a mean of 193 × 10³ /μL to 138 × 10³ /μL after plateletpheresis, but no individual was at risk for hemorrhage. Pooled platelet lysate had minimal cellular residue and contained growth factor concentrations at 6.1 ng/mL for transforming growth factor-β1, at 3.5 ng/mL for platelet-derived growth factor-BB, and at 13.8 ng/mL for vascular endothelial growth factor-A.

Plateletpheresis using commercially available apheresis equipment is a feasible option for collecting platelet concentrate from equine donors. The lysate generated from the apheresis product contains growth factors and has potential to be used as a fetal bovine serum substitute for cell culture.