Fig. 4.

Maternal choline deficiency increases the number of endothelial cells expressing Factor VIII and Von Willebrand factor in E17 fetal hippocampus. Pregnant mice were fed CD, CT, or CS diet between days 12 to 17 of gestation and fetal brains were collected at E17. Consecutive fetal brain sections were immunolabeled with anti-VW Factor VIII antibodies conjugated with ALEXA 546 nm. Clusters of endothelial cells expressing VW Factor were counted in E17 hippocampal sections (DG = dentate gyrus; CA1 = cornu ammonis 1; CA2 = cornu ammonis 2; CA3 = cornu ammonis 3; and Whole H = whole hippocampus. The surface area of whole hippocampus (H) and dentate gyrus (DG) were measured for each sample and found to be constant between the treatments (small inset). Data are presented as mean ± SE. n = 7 pups from 7 dams/group. * = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01, as compared to CT and CS groups by ANOVA with Tukey-Kramer tests.