Fig. 2. Therapeutic manipulations that alter the survival and aortic growth in pregnancy.

(A) Kaplan-Meier survival curve comparing Fbn1^mgR/mgR never-pregnant (n=60) and Fbn1^mgR/mgR lactating (n = 45) mice to Fbn1^mgR/mgR females with pups removed on the day of delivery, thereby preventing lactation and eliminating the lactation-induced prolonged elevation of oxytocin (n = 27). (B) Average aortic root and ascending aortic growth over the 7-week period spanning pregnancy (3 weeks) and lactation (4 weeks) in Fbn1^mgR/mgR never-pregnant (n = 60), Fbn1^mgR/mgR lactating (n = 35), and Fbn1^mgR/mgR females with pups removed (n = 20). (C) Representative proximal ascending aortic wall sections stained with VVG for elastin, demonstrating elastic fiber breaks (white arrows), cellularity, and thickness of the adventitia (black asterisks) in the Fbn1^mgR/mgR and WT mice. (D) Kaplan-Meier survival curve comparing Fbn1^mgR/mgR lactating mice (n = 45) to Fbn1^mgR/mgR females with OTA administered via a continuous subcutaneous infusion pump implanted at the beginning of the third week of gestation and continued through the 4 weeks of lactation for a total of 5 weeks of treatment (n = 19). (E) Average aortic root and ascending aortic growth over the 7-week period spanning pregnancy and lactation in never-pregnant (n = 60), lactating (n = 35), and OTA-treated (n = 15) Fbn1^mgR/mgR mice. (F) Kaplan-Meier survival curve assessing the effect of OA administration to never-pregnant Fbn1^mgR/mgR mice (n = 10) via a continuous subcutaneous infusion pump implanted at 7 weeks of life and continued for a total of 5 weeks of treatment to mimic the time span of the third week of gestation and 4 weeks of lactation. (G) Kaplan-Meier survival curve assessing the effects of OA administered to Fbn1^mgR/mgR mice (n = 10) via a continuous subcutaneous infusion pump implanted at the beginning of the third week of gestation and continued through the 4 weeks of lactation for a total of 5 weeks of treatment. Survival was statistically evaluated using a log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. When data are presented as boxplots, the box extends from the 25th to 75th percentiles, median is denoted by the internal line, and whiskers indicate the range calculated using the Tukey method, with data points outside the whiskers shown as individual points. All significant P values (P < 0.05) are noted in the figure.