Figure 3. Systemic delivery of Ad-hVEGF-C increases LV density in colitic mice.

Whole mounts of proximal, distal, and rectal colonic segments from DSS-treated mice with acute and chronic colitis were stained with Abs against LYVE1 (green) and CD31 (red) to measure LV area density. (A) Representative images of whole-mount staining of distal colons from the indicated groups at day 10. Scale bar: 75 μm. (B) LV density was quantified at the indicated time points and reported as the mean values ± SEM for each group (n = 8 mice/group with 5 fields/colonic segment). Scale bar: 40 μm. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.001 versus DSS alone. (C) Representative images of frozen sections from colons of treated control (WT, n = 8) and IL-10–KO (colitic, n = 8) mice stained for LYVE1 (green), CD31 (red), and DAPI (blue). Scale bar: 75 μm. LYVE1⁺ (D) and CD31⁺ (E) vessels were counted in 10 regions per section, and the numbers were normalized per total section area expressed in mm². Results are presented as the mean vessel density per group ± SEM. Black dashed lines represent the 2 DSS cycles. Red and green dashed lines indicate the first VEGF-C and mF431C1 administration, respectively. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.001 versus DSS alone.