Fig. 2

Effects of pClM and LaC on vascular pathologies in aortas of chronic renal failure rats (CRF). Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to visualize the extracellular matrix (ECM) of abdominal aorta slices. A Treatment with a processed clay mineral (pClM) significantly prevented thickening of the vascular walls of the abdominal aorta and B synthesis of extracellular matrix (black arrows) within the tunica media. C Western blot analyses confirmed a reduction of α-SMA in the abdominal aorta of untreated CRF rats. Unlike LaC, pClM treated animals showed similar α-SMA expression levels as sham operated rats (min to max, #vs. sham, *vs. CRF, p ≤ 0.05)