Fig 3. Early implantation is unaffected in Rac1 conditional knockout mouse.

(A) Gross morphology of Rac1^f/f and Rac1^d/d uteri at days 6 and 8 of gestation. (B) Rac1^f/f and Rac1^d/d mice were subjected to artificial decidual stimulation for 96 hours as described in the Materials and methods. For each mouse, one uterine horn was stimulated, while the other horn was left undisturbed. Gross morphology of Rac1^f/f and Rac1^d/d uteri following the application of the decidual stimulus is shown. (C) Comparative wet weight gains in uteri of Rac1^f/f and Rac1^d/d mice. Following artificial decidualization, stimulated and unstimulated horns were assessed for wet weight gain. The histogram shows the ratios of average weights of stimulated over unstimulated horns from Rac1^f/f and Rac1^d/d mice. Data represent mean ± SEM from four separate samples and were analyzed by t-test, P > 0.05). (D) Uterine sections from Rac1^f/f and Rac1^d/d mice on day 8 of pregnancy were subjected to alkaline phosphatase activity (ALPL, upper) and IF staining using an antibody specific for the prolactin-related protein (PRL82A, lower). AMD, MD, and E denote antimesometrial decidua, mesometrial decidua, and embryo respectively. (E) Comparable expressions of various markers of decidualization in Rac1^f/f and Rac1^d/d uteri. Total RNA was isolated from uteri on day 8 of pregnancy and qPCR analysis was performed using primers specific for Pgr, Bmp2, and Gja1. Data represent mean ± SEM from four separate samples and were analyzed by t-test, P > 0.05).