Implication of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway in the Process of Incompetent Valves in Patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency and the Relationship with Aging

Figure 5

(a) Significant levels of mRNA for HIF-1α quantified by RT-qPCR in R and patients. Results were normalized to that of the reference gene GAPDH and are provided in arbitrary units. NR = no reflux; R = reflux. . (b) Distribution of the percentage of patients with positive protein expression in HIF-1α NR and R patients and by age; n = number of patients. (c) A–D: Histological images for HIF-1α protein expression in the different tunicae of the venous wall in , , , and patients (120x). Red coloration indicates the specific precipitate that correlates with the expression of said protein. A = tunica adventitia; M = tunica media; I = tunica intima.

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