VEGF-C improves BM recovery after irradiation-induced damage. (A) Experimental setup for evaluating the effects of exogenous VEGF-C upon irradiation-induced injury. AAV9 encoding mouse VEGF-C or control protein was injected systemically (IP) to WT mice 7 days before irradiation. BM was analyzed 7 days after irradiation. (B) Quantification of BM VE-cadherin–positive ECs and LepR⁺ cells in VEGF-C–treated WT mice 7 days after 4-Gy irradiation by flow cytometry (n = 6-8 individual mice per group). (C) Quantification of LKS cells per femur (n = 6-8 mice per group) by flow cytometry. (D) Hematoxylin and eosin staining of femur sections 7 days after 4-Gy irradiation (n = 6-8 mice per group). Bar represents 50 μm. (E) Experimental setup for evaluating the effects of exogenous VEGF-C on the efficiency of hematopoietic engraftment after transplantation. AAV9 encoding mouse VEGF-C or control protein was injected systemically into WT mice 1 day after lethal irradiation and BM transplantation. BM was analyzed 2 and 3 weeks after transplantation. (F-G) Flow cytometry quantification of BM ECs, LepR⁺ cells, and LKS cells in mice treated with VEGF-C after lethal irradiation and BM transplantation (n = 3 per group per time point). Values show the mean ± SD. Statistical significance was determined using the Student t test or 1-way analysis of variance multiple-comparisons test. *P < .05; **P < .01; ***P < .001.