Fig. 7: Deletion of Vhl increases tumor dissemination to the bone but not to the lung.

a Representative 3D renderings of microCT scans of the proximal metaphysis of the right tibia. b Quantification of bone volume from microCT analysis as a percentage of total volume. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test against corresponding f/f control. n = 10 Vhl^f/f PyMT⁺ mouse tibiae, n = 11 Vhl^−/− PyMT⁺ mouse tibiae, n = 8 Vhl^f/f PyMT⁻ mouse tibiae, and n = 13 Vhl^−/− PyMT⁻ mouse tibiae. c The percentage of EpCAM⁺ cells, out of the total number of live cells, detected by flow cytometric analysis of left hindlimb bone marrow. Values have been normalized to the total tumor burden at end point of each mouse. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. n = 10 Vhl^f/f PyMT⁺ mice, n = 10 Vhl^−/− PyMT⁺ mice. d, e Quantitative PCR analysis of Pymt transcript compared to Hmbs from right femur or spinal midsection, respectively. Values have been normalized to the total tumor burden at end point of each mouse. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. f, g Metastatic lesion number or area detected by histological analysis of H&E-stained sections from the left lung. Values have been normalized to the total tumor burden at end point of each mouse. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. h Comparison of the proportion of mice from each group that had any detectable pulmonary lesions. Fisher’s exact test. i, j Quantitative PCR analysis of Pymt transcript compared to B2m from the right lung or brain, respectively. Values have been normalized to the total tumor burden at end point of each mouse. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. Graphs represent mean per group and error bars represent s.e.m. For d–j, n = 20 (or 19 in f–h) Vhl^f/f PyMT⁺ mice, n = 19 Vhl^−/− PyMT⁺ mice.