Figure 2.

Minimal Effects of miR-145 on Developmental Retinal Angiogenesis

(A) Representative images of P5 and P10 mouse retinas treated with miR-145 mimics or negative control oligomers via intravitreal injection at P1 and P6, respectively, followed by staining with IB₄ for observing the superficial (at P5, top) and deep (at P10, bottom) vascular layers. (B–D) Quantification of vascularized retinal areas (B, at P5) and vascular density (C, at P5, and D, at P10) in the negative control- and miR-145 mimic-treated groups show no significant difference. (E) Representative images of IB₄-stained P5, P7, and P10 retinas treated with miR-145 inhibitors or negative controls at P1, P5, and P6, respectively. (F–J) Analyses of the vascularized areas of superficial retinas (F and H) and the vascular density of the superficial vasculature (G and I) or the deep vascular plexus (J) revealed no significant difference in the superficial retinal areas (P5, F, and P7, H) and vascular density (P7, I; P10, J) between the control- and miR-145 mimic-treated retinas (P5 and P7: n = 13 or 16 mice per group; P10: n = 7 or 8 mice per group), with very modest reduction of vascular density at P5 (G). Scale bars represent 50 μm (A and E), P5 and P7, and 100 μm (A and E), P10. Deep, deep retinal vascular layer; Neg Ctrl, negative control RNA oligomers; Sup, superficial retinal vascular layer. Data are presented as means ± SEM. **p ≤ 0.005.