VEGFC but not VEGFD is required for lymphangiogenesis after full-thickness dorsal skin excision. (A) Images showing growth of new skin within 14 days after full-thickness skin wounding. The area of new skin is identified by the lack of hair growth on day 14. (B) Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining reveals no obvious morphological differences within new skin after wounding of control or Vegfc cKO animals. (C-D) VEGFC is required for lymphangiogenesis after full thickness skin wounding. (C) Immunostaining of new skin 14 days after wounding reveals the presence of numerous Lyve1+Prox1+ LECs (white arrowheads) in control mice, but none in Vegfc cKO mice. (D) Quantitation of LEC density within new skin of control and Vegfc cKO animals. n = 5 for both groups. (E) HE staining reveals no obvious morphological differences within new skin after wounding of control or Vegfd KO animals. (F-G) VEGFD is not required for lymphangiogenesis after full-thickness skin wounding. (F) Immunostaining of new skin 14 days after wounding reveals the presence of numerous Lyve1+Prox1+ LECs (white arrowheads) in control and Vegfd KO mice. (G) Quantitation of LEC density within new skin of control and Vegfd KO animals. n = 9,7 (control, Vegfd KO). N, new skin; hpf, high-power field. **P < .01. Scale bars: A = 1 mm; B,C (top), E,F (top) = 100 µm; i, ii = 25 µm. Error bars indicate SEM.