MMP8 and periodontitis: Based on the densitometric analysis of these western blots (Figure 6(a)), the plasma of the CMC 2.24-treated rats with LPS-induced periodontitis exhibited a ratio of pro/active MMP-8 of 2.52 ± 0.20 (SEM) which was 89.5% higher than the ratio, 1.33 ± 0.05, seen in the plasma from the vehicle-treated LPS-periodontitis rats (Figure 6(b)), and this inhibition of activation of the precursor (latent) form of MMP-8 by the CMC2.24 treatment was statistically significant (P = 0.024).