Figure 13.

Statin treatment diminished smooth muscle cell activation in human varicose veins. MMP9 and myocardin were detected by immunofluorescence staining (asterisks mark the lumen) in cross‐sections of human great saphenous veins from varicose vein excision, those from patients chronically treated with statins and nondilated (healthy) veins. Compared with healthy veins, the abundance of MMP9 was significantly increased in the walls of varicose veins but not in those from statin‐treated patients. A, *^** P<0.001 vs healthy, ^## P<0.01 vs varicose veins, n=9–10. The abundance of myocardin was significantly decreased in the walls of varicose veins but not in those from statin‐treated patients. B, *P<0.05 vs healthy, n=9–10, scale bars = 200 μm. AU indicate arbitrary unit; Rel., relative.