Figure 5
From: Deficiency of Neuropilin 2 Suppresses VEGF-Induced Retinal Neovascularization
Mice deficient in Npn2 develop less VEGF-induced subretinal neovascularization. Littermate npn2−/−, npn2+/−, and npn2+/+ mice that also carried a rhodopsin promoter (rho)/VEGF transgene were perfused with fluorescein-labeled dextran at P21. Retinal flat mounts were examined by fluorescence microscopy and neovascularization in the subretinal space was measured by image analysis. Representative low power fields of retinas from rho/VEGF- npn2−/− mice (A) showed less neovascularization than those from rho/VEGF- npn2+/− mice (B). This is better seen on high power fields of retinas from rho/VEGF- npn2−/− mice (C) or rho/VEGF- npn2+/− mice (D) in which subretinal neovascularization (arrows) is easily distinguished from retinal vessels that are out of focus in the background. Quantification of the area of subretinal neovascularization by image analysis demonstrated significantly less neovascularization in retinas from mice deficient in Npn2 (n = 23) compared with those that expressed some Npn2 (E, npn2+/− and npn2+/+ mice combined, n = 8).