Impaired microRNA processing causes corpus luteum insufficiency and infertility in mice
J. Clin. Invest. Motoyuki Otsuka, et al. 118:1944
doi:10.1172/JCI33680 [Go to this article.]

Figure 2
Impaired angiogenesis in the CLs of Dicerd/d mice. (A) Ovarian tissue sections obtained from Dicer+/+ and Dicerd/d mice on day 1.5 of pregnancy were stained with H&E (original magnification, ×100). CLs in Dicer+/+ and Dicerd/d mice ovaries is denoted by the boxes and are shown at higher original magnification (×400, bottom). The cells had less cytoplasm and less vascularity in the CLs of Dicerd/d mice. (B) Immunofluorescence analyses of ovaries from Dicerd/d and Dicer+/+ mice on day 1.5 of pregnancy show the localization of type IV collagen — a marker of the basal lamina of endothelial cells. Close examination of the vascular network in the CLs denoted by the boxes (top) is shown at higher magnification (×400; bottom). Dicer+/+ CLs showed more filamentous and punctuated collagen IV staining, which indicated higher vessel densities than those in Dicerd/d mice. (C) PECAM (CD31) immunofluorescence staining of CLs in Dicerd/d and Dicer+/+ mice on day 1.5 of pregnancy. The number and the length of the vessels were greater and longer in Dicer+/+ CLs. Original magnification, ×400. (D) Cumulative vessel length in CLs was determined as the average of the number of vessels per 100 × 100 μm2 multiplied by the vessel length in 3 random fields. The results of type IV collagen immunofluorescence staining from 4 different Dicer+/+ and Dicerd/d pairs were used. The data are expressed as mean ± SD. *P = 0.0012.