Fig. 4

Quantification of labyrinthine blood spaces in males and females in the immature, definitive and late-gestation placenta. a Haematoxylin and eosin staining of the E13 labyrinth. d In situ hybridisation for Mest marking the fetal endothelial cells of the fetal blood spaces in the E15 labyrinth. g Isolectin B4 marking the fetal endothelial cells of the E20 labyrinth. White (male), black (female). Data shows mean ± SEM, analysed by two-way ANOVAs for sex with zone. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 from Student’s t test. Fetal (FBS) and maternal (MBS) blood spaces and labyrinth trophoblast (LAB TROPH) were estimated for volume for b E13, e E15 and h E20. Similarly, surface areas for FBS and MBS were estimated for c E13, f E15 and i E20. For E13 N = 6–7 samples/sex from 4 litters, E15 N = 8–9 samples/sex from 6 litters, E20 N = 11–12 samples/sex from 6 litters