Figure 4

Vasculature in uteri from NOD SCID mice inoculated with control or VEGF-2-expressing 293EBNA cells. Representative photomicrographs of uterine horns from NOD SCID mice inoculated with control (A, C, E, G) or VEGF-D (B, D, F, H) expressing 293EBNA cells. (A, B) Myometrial lymphatic endothelial cell proliferation was increased in mice treated with VEGF-D expressing cells relative to those treated with control cells. Red: PCNA positive proliferating cells, Blue: Lyve-1 positive lymphatic vessel profiles. (C, D) Myometrial lymphatic vessels (white arrows). Note increased size of vessels in uterus exposed to VEGF-D. Brown: tumor cells (C: human mitochondrial positive cells, D: human VEGF-D positive cells). (E, F) There were also increased numbers of proliferating endometrial blood endothelial cells (adjacent to tumors) in mice treated with VEGF-D expressing cells relative to control cells. Red: PCNA positive proliferating cells, blue: CD31 positive blood vessel profiles. Black arrows: blood vessels. (G, H) Endometrial blood vessels (black arrows, note increased vessel size in uterus exposed to VEGF-D). Red: PCNA positive proliferating cells, blue: CD31 positive blood vessel profiles.