Fig. 1

The values of mean arterial pressure, body weights, urinary protein/creatinine ratio and renal histology. Both mean arterial blood pressure (MAP, a) and body weight of control and transgenic mice (b) was similar in all groups regardless of treatment. Urinary protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) was elevated in untreated TGF-β₁ transgenic mice (c), but was significantly ameliorated by pioglitazone treatment. Renal histology depicted significant glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial damage in untreated TGF-β₁ mice (d and e) that were reduced by pioglitazone (Masson’s trichrome staining, 400X magnification, bar represents 50 μm). Fibronectin immunostaining was markedly stronger in both glomeruli and tubulointerstitium of untreated TGF-β₁ mice (f), but reduced to control levels in pioglitazone treated mice (n = 7/group, *:p < 0.05, **:p < 0.01, ***:p < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test)