Fig. 5.

Corticosterone (B) but not 5α-tetrahydrocorticosterone (5αTHB) dramatically reduced vessel number in a model of in vivo angiogenesis. (a) Representative macroscopic pictures of sponges retrieved from mice after 20 days in situ, and containing either vehicle pellets (V) or pellets loaded with either B (3 mg) or 5αTHB (3 mg & 15 mg) as indicated. Representative microscopic images (magnification = 100x) of sections of sponges stained with (b) haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) or immunostained for (c) the endothelial marker CD31 or (d) for the smooth muscle cell marker αSMA. Black arrows point either to vessels recognisable by H&E staining or positive for the marker indicated and magnified in the corresponding inset (400x) of each image; ^* = examples of vessels undergoing sprouting angiogenesis. Quantification of newly formed vessels in sponges containing either vehicle (V), B or 5αTHB and stained with (e) H&E or positive for (f) CD31 or (g) αSMA. Numbers on the x axis refer to the amount (mg) of steroids in each sponge; data (mean ± SEM) were analysed with one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test; n = 8–12 mice/group; p ⩽ 0.05, # = vs V, ^* = vs B, £ = 5αTHB 3 mg vs 15 mg.