Figure 2.

The amount of aortic vascular calcification visualized by Alizarin Red Staining in transgenic mice with S100A12 expression targeted to smooth muscle is modulated by environmental factors. (A) Scant medial calcification in the aorta of 10-month old S100A12/C57Bl6J mice with insert on the lower left for Alizarin Red stain and insert on the lower right with immunofluorescent microscopy staining alpha smooth muscle actin in green. *marks calcification of cartilage of the trachea. Not pictured are wild type C57Bl6 littermate controls, which had no medial calcification; Reproduced with permission from Lippincott Williams and Wilkins (42). (B) Large medial calcification in the aorta of S100A12/C57Bl6J mice with chronic uremia induced by ureter ligation and with insert on the upper right for Alizarin Red stain and insert lower right with Verhoeff van Gieson staining elastic fibers in black. Not pictured are wild type C57BL6J littermate controls with chronic uremia which had no medical calcification; Reproduced with permission from Karger Publishers (43). (C) Advanced atherosclerosis and calcification of atherosclerotic plaques in S100A12 transgenic/ApoE null mice. Not pictured are WT/ApoE littermate controls which had reduced atherosclerosis and calcification; Reproduced with permission from Lippincott Williams and Wilkins (44).