Figure 6. Effect of fibrinogen heterozygosity on alveolar development and lactational competence in Plg-RKT−/− mice.
(A), Pup mortality as a function of maternal genotype. (B), Abdominal mammary glands were collected 2 days postpartum from primiparous Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/+, Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/−, Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/+ and Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/− female littermates and weighed. ANOVA revealed group differences: F=13.10, P,0.0001. **=p< 0.05 by Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc testing, n=6–12. Paraffin embedded Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/− glands (C) and Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/− glands (D) were stained with H&E. Images were obtained with a Keyence BZ9000 (magnification X 400). Slides are representative of 6 mice from each group. (E) Alveolar diameters of Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/+, Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/−, Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/+ and Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/− glands harvested 2 days postpartum. ANOVA revealed group differences: F=23.90, P<0.001. **=p< 0.05 by Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc testing, n=6–12). (F) Per cent epithelial content of Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/+, Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/−, Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/+ and Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/− glands harvested 2 days postpartum. ANOVA revealed group differences: F=18.79, P<0.001. **=p< 0.05 by Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc testing, n=6–12. Paraffin embedded Plg-RKT+/+/Fgn+/− (G) and Plg-RKT−/−/Fgn+/− (H) glands harvested 2 days postpartum were immunostained with anti-fibrinogen. Images were obtained with a Keyence BZ-X700 (magnification X 200). Curved arrow indicates fibrin deposition in stroma surrounding the adipose tissue and straight arrow indicates fibrin deposition surrounding the alveoli.