Objective: Because of therapeutic application of stem cells (SCs), isolation and characterization of different types of SCs, especially mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gain considerable attention in recent studies. Adipose tissue is an abundant and accessible source of MSCs which can be used for tissue engineering and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly. This study was aimed to isolate, culture and determine some of the biological characteristics of equine adipose-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs) from little amount of fat tissue samples. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive study, only 3-5 grams of fat tissue were collected from three crossbred mares. Immediately, cells were isolated by mechanical and enzymatic digestion and were cultured in optimized conditions until passage 3 (P3). The cells at P3 were evaluated for proliferative capacities, expression of specific markers and osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation potentials. Results: Results showed that the isolated cells were plastic adherent with a fibroblast-like phenotype. AT-MSCs exhibited the pattern of mesenchymal markers expression (CD29, CD44, and CD90) and the lack of expression of MHC-II and CD34 (hematopoietic marker). Cellular differentiation assays demonstrated the chondrogenic, adipogenic and osteogenic potential of the isolated cells. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings revealed that equine MSCs can be obtained easily from little amounts of fat tissue which can be used for regenerative veterinary medicine in the future.

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