Figure 5.

The impact of Aronia melanocarpa L. berry extract (AE) on the ratio of the expression of collagen type III to that of collagen type I at the mRNA and protein levels in the livers of rats exposed to cadmium (Cd). The animals were treated with Cd at the concentrations of 0, 1, and 5 mg Cd/kg in their diets and/or 0.1% aqueous AE (+) or not (−). Data are shown as mean ± SE for eight rats, except for seven animals in the AE, Cd₁, and Cd₅ groups after 24 months. Statistically significant differences (Kruskal–Wallis post hoc test): * p < 0.05 and ** p < 0.01 vs. control group; ^† p < 0.05 and ^†† p < 0.01 vs. appropriate Cd group; ^‡ p < 0.05 and ^‡‡ p < 0.01 vs. AE group; ^# p < 0.05 and ^## p < 0.01 vs. appropriate group maintained on the 1 mg Cd/kg diet (Cd₁ group or Cd₁ + AE group). Numerical values in bars (or above the bars) express the percentage changes or factors of changes in comparison to the control group (↑, increase; ↓, decrease) or the appropriate group exposed to Cd alone (↗, increase; ↙, decrease).