Figure 4

(A) A representative microscopic image of the adenomyosis horn (non-pregnant: NP; left, postpartum: P; right) (upper figures; ×200) (lower figures; ×600) hematoxylin and eosin staining of the adenomyosis lesions from non-pregnant (NP) and postpartum (P) mouse. Arrowheads in P mouse indicate a decidualized stromal cells, characterized by the presence of large polygonal cells with a large round or oval vesicular nucleus, while arrows in NP mouse, indicate normal stromal cells, characterized by the presence of spindle shaped cells with a small spindle condensed nucleus. (B) A scatters plot for adenomyosis lesion count per mouse. The lesion count in non-pregnant (NP n = 5) and postpartum (P n = 4) mice were compared. (C–E) A box and whisker graph for adenomyosis lesion volume. The cross-sectional area of the lesion was measured by tracing the innermost line of the smooth muscle that was identified by positive staining with αSMA and using it as the outermost line of the lesion. The cross-sectional area of the epithelial part of the lesion was measured by tracing the epithelium, with positive CK8 staining, within the adenomyosis lesion. The cross-sectional area of the stromal part of the lesion was calculated by subtracting the area of the epithelial part from the area of the entire lesion. The volumes of each lesion were calculated as the sum of cross-sectional areas multiplied by the inter-slide spacing. The lesion counts (B) and volume of the entire (C), epithelial (D) and stromal (E) areas were comparable between NP and P. Box: 25–75%, whisker: 10–90%, midline: median, NS: p > 0.05.