METHODS FOR THE ISOLATION, CULTURE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EQUINE PULMONARY-ARTERY ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

Equine endothelial cells were isolated from the pulmonary artery by en zymatic digestion and grown to confluency. The cells were characterise d by positive immunofluorescent staining for von Willebrand factor and NADPH-diaphorase staining for nitric oxide synthase. Measurements of endothelins indicated that there were significant release rates from t he cells for up to six hours. Measurements of intracellular calcium co ncentration showed that the application of bradykinin caused a transie nt increase in calcium concentration with similar characteristics to t hose observed in other endothelial cell preparations. These tests veri fy the endothelial character of these cells and establish the method a s a reliable means of producing a primary culture of equine endothelia l cells.