Platelet depletion suppresses the increased angiogenic switch in RT2/HRG^+/+ mice.

<p>RT2/HRG^+/+ and RT2/HRG^−/− mice (n = 6/group) were rendered thrombocytopenic by treatment with an anti-GP1bα antibody during two weeks before the onset of the angiogenic switch. At 7 weeks of age angiogenic islets were counted in each animal. A second group of RT2/HRG^−/− mice were treated with the anti-GP1bα antibody during two weeks after the angiogenic switch and tumor volumes analyzed at 12 weeks of age (n = 6/group). (Data on untreated animals at 7 weeks were originally published in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0014526#pone.0014526-Thulin1" target="_blank">[3]</a>.) Statistical analyses were performed with a two-tailed Mann-Whitney test, vertical bars represent standard deviation, ** p≤0.001, ns = non significant.