Diabetes-related intestinal region-specific thickening of ganglionic basement membrane and regionally decreased matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in myenteric ganglia

Figure 4 Quantitative changes in MMP9 and TIMP1 expression. A: Quantitative evaluation of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9); and B: Quantitative evaluation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) labelling gold particles in myenteric ganglia from different gut segments of control rats. In control conditions, the number of MMP9 particles was significantly higher, while TIMP1-labeling was significantly lower in the distal part of the small intestine. Data are expressed as means ± SEM. ^aP < 0.01 and ^bP < 0.001 (between control duodenum and control ileum).