Increases in Endogenous or Exogenous Progestins Promote Virus-Target Cell Interactions within the Non-human Primate Female Reproductive Tract
Fig 1
Average Stratum Corneum (SC) Thickness of the Ectocervix and Vagina of Rhesus and Pigtail Macaques.
Menstrual cycle phases were designated as follicular (day 1 of menstruation until day 14), midcycle (days 14–16), or luteal (days 17 to day prior to menstruation). DMPA refers to those animals that were pre-treated with intramuscular injections of 30 mg Depo-provera 4–5 weeks (28–33 days) prior to sacrifice. Error bars represent SEM. (a). SC thickness of the ectocervix of progesterone-treated and untreated rhesus macaques. Arrows represent those animals whose SC was absent. (b). SC thickness of the vagina of progesterone-treated and untreated rhesus macaques. Arrows represent those animals whose SC was absent. (c). SC thickness of the ectocervix of infected pigtail macaques by phase of the menstrual cycle and post-DMPA treatment. (d). SC thickness of the vagina of infected pigtail macaques by phase of the menstrual cycle and post-DMPA treatment (30mg). (e). Fluorescent deconvolution image (40x) of the SC thickness in a representative infected pigtail macaque at mid-cycle menstrual cycle phase. Adherens junctions (red), DAPI (blue), tissue background (green). Size bar is 40μm. (f). Fluorescent deconvolution image (40x) of the SC thickness in a representative infected pigtail macaque at luteal menstrual cycle phase pigtail macaque. Adherens junctions (red), DAPI (blue), tissue background (green). Size bar is 40μm. (g). Fluorescent deconvolution image (40x) of the SC thickness in a representative infected pigtail macaque after DMPA treatment. Adherens junctions (red), DAPI (blue), tissue background (green). Size bar is 40μm. Tissue layers are described to the right of image.