Figure 4

Gelatinase activity in biopsies from DNCB-induced rashes treated with various nanocrystalline silver-derived solutions. Zymograms are shown for all three animals of each treatment group at 24 (A) and 72 (B) hours in the following order for each time period: negative controls (no rash, treated with distilled water), positive controls (had DNCB-induced rash, treated with distilled water), and animals with DNCB-induced rashes that were treated with nanocrystalline silver-derived solutions generated at starting pHs of 4, 5.6, 7, and 9. Protein ladders were run as the first sample on each gel. The gels testing biopsies from 24 hours were run simultaneously, as were the gels testing 72 hour biopsies. The integrated density values (IDV) relative to the gel background IDV for pMMP-9, aMMP-9, pMMP-2, and aMMP-2 are shown in Panels C, D, E, and F, respectively. The statistical analyses, which were performed using one-way ANOVAs with Tukey-Kramer Multiple Comparisons Post Tests, are shown in Table 2. Error bars represent standard deviations.