Figure 7. Functional analysis of decidual vascular function reveals impaired angiogenesis in uDC-depleted ISs.
(A and B) 3D gradient-echo MRI maximal intensity projections, 24 minutes after biotin-BSA-GdDTPA injection. (C) fBV and (D) PS (control: n = 3 mice, 10 ISs; DTx: n = 2 mice, 6 ISs; *P = 0.03, †P = 0.89). (E) Quantitative analysis of IS size measured by MRI. Size of uDC-depleted ISs (DTx) is presented as percentage of control ISs (control: 3 mice, n = 10 ISs; DTx: 2 mice, n = 6 ISs: ‡P = 0.0011). (F and G) ISs were retrieved 3 and 15 minutes after biotin-BSA-GdDTPA injection and stained with avidin-FITC (n = 2 mice, n = 3 ISs per time point; ‡P = 1.6 × 10–5, §P = 0.002). Gray trend lines indicate permeability (signal intensity [SI] at 15 minutes minus SI at 3 minutes: control, 4.4; DTx, 3.8). Yellow arrows, IS; white arrows, embryo location; B, bladder; K, kidney; e, embryo; ni, nonimplanted uterine site. (H) Immunostaining for smooth muscle cells using anti–α-SMA (red) of control versus uDC-depleted (DTx) E5.5 ISs. Note the absence of mature blood vessels (with α-SMA coating) from the edges of the uDC-depleted IS. Myometrium stained positive for α-SMA. m, myometrium; mbv, maternal blood vessel. (I) Quantitation of α-SMA–positive capillary number per IS showing uDC-depleted IS compared with control (DTx: n = 2 mice, n = 4 ISs; control: n = 2 mice, n = 9 ISs; ¶P = 0.026).