Dataset: Development of the pulmonary vasculature in the gray short-tailed opossum (<i>Monodelphis domestica</i>) - data files

The current study uses X-ray computed tomography (µCT) to three-dimensionally reconstruct the vascular trees of the pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein of the marsupial gray short-tailed opossum (<i>Monodelphis domestica</i>). The pulmonary vasculature was examined in 15 animals from neonate to postnatal day 57 in order to study vascular genesis during the postnatal period. At birth the pulmonary vasculature has a simple branching pattern with a few vessel generations extending to the large terminal air spaces. Compared to the bronchial tree the pulmonary vasculature appears to be more developed. During the postnatal period the volumes of the pulmonary vasculature steadily increase and a progressive increase in vascular complexity and density takes place. Vascular genesis in the gray short-tailed opossum resembles that in other marsupial and eutherian species and seems to be highly conservative within mammalian evolution. This Dataset includes all data files of the publication " Development of the pulmonary vasculature in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) – 3D reconstruction by microcomputed tomography".