Figure 1.

Connective tissue phenotype mast cells (MC_TCs) cause microvascular dysmorphism in the developing lung. A: Representative images of embryonic mouse lung tissue explant cultured for 48 hours alone [no mast cells (MCs) (control)] and with MC_TCs or mucosal phenotype mast cells (MC_Ts). The microvasculature was stained with tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated isolectin B4 (red), and nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Arrows indicate endothelial cells stained with Isolectin B4. B: Representative three-dimensional reconstructed microvasculature showing the inset region. C: Quantification of total volume of vasculature relative to the total nuclear volume in each condition. n = 6 (and in triplicates). ∗∗P < 0.01 (t-test). Scale bars = 100 μm.