Silicone-covered biodegradable magnesium stent for treating benign esophageal stricture in a rabbit model

Figure 6 Histological examination of the epithelial layer and the α-smooth muscle layer of the esophagus after stent insertion. A: Representative images show the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining in the epithelial layer of the esophagus from the stent group and the normal control group. The percentage of PCNA-positive proliferating cells in the epithelial layer in the control group (PCNA-1) was similar to that in the magnesium-silicone stent group (PCNA-2) (magnification, ×100). B: Representative images showing the α-smooth muscle (SMA) staining. The thickness of the epithelial and SMA-positive layers did not differ between the normal control group (SMA-1) and magnesium-silicone stent group (SMA-2) (magnification, ×200).