10.1371/journal.pone.0089810.g001 Daniela Farkas Daniela Farkas Donatas Kraskauskas Donatas Kraskauskas Jennifer I. Drake Jennifer I. Drake Aysar A. Alhussaini Aysar A. Alhussaini Vita Kraskauskiene Vita Kraskauskiene Harm J. Bogaard Harm J. Bogaard Carlyne D. Cool Carlyne D. Cool Norbert F. Voelkel Norbert F. Voelkel Laszlo Farkas Laszlo Farkas Accumulation of c-kit<sup>+</sup> cells in the SU5416/chronic hypoxia (SuHx) model. Public Library of Science 2014 Anatomy and physiology cardiovascular system Circulatory physiology Model organisms Animal models rat Molecular cell biology Cellular types Endothelial cells cardiovascular Pulmonary vascular diseases Vascular biology cells hypoxia 2014-02-24 03:32:53 Figure https://plos.figshare.com/articles/figure/_Accumulation_of_c_kit_cells_in_the_SU5416_chronic_hypoxia_SuHx_model_/943311 <p>(<b>A</b>) Representative images of <i>in situ</i> hybridization images demonstrating <i>Kit</i> mRNA expression. In naïve control animals, occasional low <i>Kit</i> expression was found in cells of vessels and alveolar walls<b>,</b> whereas multiple cells in lumen-obliterating regions and vessel wall/perivascular region expressed <i>Kit</i> (granular staining pattern) in the lung of a SuHx animal. The open arrows indicate cells with strong <i>Kit</i> expression. Counterstaining with Gill’s Hematoxylin. Magnification: 400×. Scale bar: 20 µm. (<b>B</b>) Quantification of the number of c-kit<sup>+</sup> cells/vessel over time. n = 3 animals per group. * <i>P</i><0.05, ** <i>P</i><0.01. (<b>C</b>) Images demonstrate representative optical sections (confocal microscopy). c-kit<sup>+</sup>, c-kit<sup>+</sup> von Willebrand Factor<sup>+</sup> (vWF<sup>+</sup>) and c-kit<sup>+</sup> α-smooth muscle actin<sup>+</sup> (α-SMA<sup>+</sup>) cells were occasionally found in alveolar walls and vessel walls of naïve control animals. c-kit<sup>+</sup> and c-kit<sup>+</sup> α-SMA<sup>+</sup> cells accumulated in and around the pulmonary arteries of SuHx animals over time. The number of c-kit<sup>+</sup> vWF<sup>+</sup> cells also increased until day 21 in and around the pulmonary arteries of SuHx animals and started to decline thereafter. Arrows indicate c-kit<sup>+</sup> vWF<sup>+</sup> or c-kit<sup>+</sup> α-SMA<sup>+</sup> cells. Nuclear counterstaining with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Magnification: 630×. Scale bar: 20 µm. (<b>D-E</b>) Quantification of the number of c-kit<sup>+</sup> vWF<sup>+</sup> (D) and c-kit<sup>+</sup> α-SMA<sup>+</sup> (E) cells per vessel. n = 3 animals per group. * <i>P</i><0.05, ** <i>P</i><0.01 and *** <i>P</i><0.0001.</p>