Figure 8.

MMP-8^−/− mice show protection from luminal fibrosis. Grafts were explanted 14 days post-transplantation and stained for collagen with Masson’s trichrome (n=6). WT recipients demonstrate more luminal fibrosis compared with MMP-8^−/− recipients, as seen by the higher amount of collagen (blue; A and B). Image-based quantification of luminal collagen showed that MMP-8^−/− mice developed significantly less collagen deposition and fibrosis in the lumen compared with WT recipients at 14 days (13.1±2.3% vs. 20.2±2%; *, P=0.044; C).