Fig. 1.

Reduction in perfused area and distal limb perfusion in connexin 40-deficient (Cx40^−/−, or 40^−/−) mice was not due to reduced microvascular density. Presurgical distal limb perfusion (A) and perfused sites (C) were reduced significantly (*) in Cx40^−/− (n = 24, 14 male) compared with wild-type (WT; n = 26, 18 male) mice (P < 0.05 and P < 0.002, respectively). No difference in flow (mean intensity) was detected (B) between WT and Cx40^−/− mice. Perfusion and perfused sites also differed in the subset of animals subjected to mild surgery [WT: n = 18 (13 male); Cx40^−/−: n = 16 (9 male); P < 0.01 for perfusion; P < 0.003 for perfused sites] but for the subset of animals subjected to severe surgery only trended toward significance [WT: n = 9 (5 male); Cx40^−/−: n = 10 (4 male); P = 0.18 for perfusion; P = 0.065 for perfused sites]. D and E: microvasculature was visualized in cross-sections of gastrocnemius muscle (scale bar = 100 μm). No significant differences in microvascular density were observed between Cx40^−/− and WT mice [WT n = 15 (6 male); Cx40^−/− n = 10, 5 male].