Figure 4. iLEC^Kras mice have fewer lymphatic valves compared with iLEC^Ctrl mice.

(A) Schematic showing when mice were fed tamoxifen (2 μl of 25 mg/ml solution). Tissues were collected on P20. (B–E) Representative images of GFP-stained ear skin whole mounts from iLEC^Ctrl;mT/mG mice (B and C) and iLEC^Kras;mT/mG mice (D and E). (C) A higher-magnification view of the boxed region in B, showing a lymphatic valve with a normal V-shaped morphology in an iLEC^Ctrl;mT/mG mouse. (E) A higher-magnification view of the boxed region in D, showing a lymphatic in an iLEC^Kras;mT/mG mouse. This lymphatic does not have a valve with a normal V-shaped morphology. (F) iLEC^Ctrl;mT/mG mice had significantly more lymphatic branch points per 4× field (52 ± 3.845; n = 8) than iLEC^Kras;mT/mG mice (29.71 ± 2.775; n = 7). (G) iLEC^Ctrl;mT/mG mice had significantly skinnier lymphatics (49.91 ± 1.232 μm; n = 7) than iLEC^Kras;mT/mG mice (82.59 ± 6.178 μm; n = 6). (H) iLEC^Ctrl;mT/mG mice had significantly more lymphatic valves per 4× field (27.25 ± 2.25; n = 8) than iLEC^Kras;mT/mG mice (0.8571 ± 0.3401; n = 7). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001; unpaired Student’s t tests. Scale bar: 200 μm (B and D); 100 μm (C and E).