Fig. 4

Effect of passage number or estrous cycle stage on selected mucin mRNA expression pattern. Normalized mRNA expression of a MUC1; c MUC4; and e MUC6 in BOEC of in vivo samples and of cell culture passages P0, P1, P2 and P3 with LOW and HIGH glucose medium content (n = 8) as well as normalized mRNA expression depending of the phase of the estrous cycle on day of collecting cells of b MUC1 in HIGH glucose medium; d MUC4 in LOW glucose medium; and f MUC6 in HIGH glucose medium (n = 4). Different letters indicate significant difference (P < 0.05) between cell culture passages of the same glucose medium content (ab and de for LOW and HIGH glucose medium content, respectively). Asterisk on top of the line represents significant difference between the different estrous cycle phases on day of collection (P < 0.05)