Stromal-to-epithelial transition in the postpartum endometrium.

<p>β-gal stained uterine cross sections from non-pregnant and postpartum (PPD 1 and 3) <i>Wnt7a-Cre; R26R-lacZ</i> (<i>WC/R</i>) and <i>Amhr2-Cre; R26R-lacZ</i> (<i>AC/R</i>) mice. (A and A′) Non-prenant WC/R female (n = 5). All luminal and glandular epithelia are β-gal positive but the stroma and myometrium are negative. (B and B′) Non-pregnant AC/R female (n = 5). The stroma is β-gal positive but the epithelia are negative. (C and C′), PPD 1 in WC/R mice (n = 4) is similar to the non-pregnant WC/R female except that there are regions of the luminal epithelium that are β-gal negative (blue arrows). (D and D′), PPD 1 in AC/R mice (n = 5) is similar to the non-pregnant female except there are regions of the luminal epithelium that are β-gal positive (red arrow). (E and E′), PPD 3 in WC/R mice (n = 4) appears the same as non-pregnant, only luminal and glandular epithelial tissues are β-gal positive. (F and F′), PPD 3 in AC/R mice (n = 5) appears similar to PPD1 with stroma-derived luminal epithelium (red arrow) except that there are also stroma-derived glandular epithelium (black arrow). Scale bars = 500 µm in A–F; 50 µm in A′–F′.