Fig. 1

Characterization of blood vessels in the pre-implantation murine uterus. H&E, IHC, double staining IF and fluorescently labeled dextran in E3.5 transverse uterine sections. Ovals indicate areas of the uteri magnified (B1 – F1). The orientation is the same for all panels; anti-mesometrial (am) is at the bottom and mesometrial (m) is at the top. (A) H&E at E3.5 highlighting the luminal epithelium (arrows), inner circular and outer longitudinal myometrium [dashed bracket (myo)], and endometrial stroma (st). (B) CD31⁺ ECs are detected throughout the endometrial stroma and myometrium. (C) CD31 and NG2 staining. NG2⁺ mural cells are associated with CD31⁺ ECs in the stroma, myometrium and serosa (s). (D) CD31 and PDGFR-β staining. PDGFR-β⁺ murals cells are associated with CD31⁺ ECs in the stroma, myometrium and serosa. (E) CD31 and SMA staining. SMA labels glandular epithelium (g) and smooth muscle cells in the myometrium and serosa and is not associated with CD31⁺ ECs in the stroma. (F) FITC-dextran is detected throughout the endometrial stroma, in both small and large capillaries (F1, arrowheads), and myometrium. DAPI identifies all nuclei in IF images. Bar in A – E =100 μm. Bar in F = 500 μm. Bar in B1 – F1 = 50 μm.