Figure 4.

Morphological changes of initial lymphatics in apoE^−/− mice. (A) At 4 to 6 weeks of age, the morphology of initial podoplanin-positive lymphatic vessels in tail skin from apoE^−/− mice was similar to that in wild-type (WT) mice. In contrast, at 16 to 18 weeks of age, initial lymphatics in apoE^−/− mice fed a chow diet were dilated with wide lumens (B). This lymphatic enlargement was further exacerbated in apoE^−/− mice fed a high-fat, rich-cholesterol diet (C, D). For each group, n = 2 to 6. Scale bars = 50 μm.