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. 2014 May 23;9(5):e97383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097383

Figure 6. Apoptosis in lactotropes but not in non-lactotrope cells varies during the estrous cycle and decreases in PRLRKO mice.

Figure 6

Wild type and PRLRKO mice (6–10 animals per group) were euthanized at proestrus or diestrus. Apoptosis was determined by TUNEL assay in tissue sections. A: Each column represents the media ± SEM of TUNEL-positive cells/field. *p<0.05 vs. diestrus WT, ∧p<0.01 vs. diestrus WT, ∧∧p<0.01 vs. proestrus WT. Two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test. B: Each column represents the media ± SEM of apoptotic lactotropes (TUNEL-positive PRL-positive cells/field). *p<0.05 vs. diestrus, ∧∧p<0.01 vs. proestrus WT. Two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test. C: Each column represents the media ± SEM of apoptotic non-lactotrope cells (TUNEL-positive PRL-negative cells/field). ∧p<0.05 vs. diestrus WT or proestrus WT. Two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test. D: Representative microphotographs of anterior pituitaries from WT mice euthanized at proestrus. Arrow heads indicate a TUNEL-positive lactotrope.