FVL ameliorates experimental diabetic nephropathy in mice. (A) Blood glucose concentrations in nondiabetic wild-type (FVwt control, n = 12), diabetic wild-type (FVwt DM, n = 18), diabetic heterozygous (FVLr/q DM, n = 13), or diabetic homozygous (FVLq/q DM, n = 12) FVL mice. Blood glucose levels did not differ between groups of diabetic mice. Albuminuria (B), normalized kidney weight (C), and extracellular matrix deposition as determined by PAS staining (D-E) in FVwt, FVLr/q, and FVLq/q mice without or with diabetes (n ≥ 10 for each group) are shown. These indices of diabetic nephropathy remained significantly lower in diabetic FVLr/q or FVLq/q mice. Exemplary images of PAS-stained histologic sections (D arrows, PAS-positive area) and bar graph summarizing results of histologic scores (E) (≥ 50 glomeruli of at least 7 different mice were analyzed). Scale bar indicates 15 μm (D). C indicates nondiabetic control mice (white bars); DM, diabetic mice (black bars); means ± SEM are shown; *P < .05; **P < .01 (ANOVA).