FIG. 2.

Early life undernutrition reduces ovarian blood vessel density. Photographs represent ovarian sections immunostained for endothelial cell marker CD31 using DAB substrate and counterstained with hematoxylin. A) CD31 immunopositive protein is identified by brown staining indicative of DAB substrate. CD31-positive endothelial cell staining within ovarian blood vessel structures are indicated by white arrows. Perifollicular capillaries, that provide vascular supply to the developing follicle and/or corpus luteum, are indicated by white arrowheads. Negative controls show no positive staining (data not shown). Original magnification ×200. B) Maternal undernutrition resulted in a significant decrease in the proportion of CD31 immunostaining (expressed as percent of vessel area of total ovarian area analyzed) in offspring ovaries. Data are presented as means ± SEM. One-way ANOVA main effects: maternal diet P < 0.05 for undernourished compared to Cont offspring. Post hoc analyses (Bonferroni): *P < 0.05 compared to Cont offspring; n = 5 per group. Cont, offspring of mothers fed a control diet; UNP, offspring of mothers undernourished during pregnancy alone; UNPL, offspring of mothers undernourished during pregnancy and lactation; UNL, offspring of mothers undernourished during lactation alone.