Molecular Vision: Achari, Mol Vis 2008; 14:443-455. Table 2

Table 2. mRNA levels for different growth factors in central corneal tissues following ovariohysterectomy.

Mature animals
Growth factors	Control	OVX	p-Value
bFGF	100	52.4	0.0007
CTGF	100	62.2	0.00002
IGF-1	100	54.5	0.02
NGF	100	54.4	0.00001
TGF-β	100	62.0	0.002
VEGF	100	102.0	NS
Immature animals
Age of rabbits	22 weeks
Growth factors	Control	OVX	p-Value
bFGF	100	82.9	NS
CTGF	100	110.4	NS
IGF-1	100	133.7	NS
NGF	100	87.7	NS
TGF-β	100	70.3	NS
VEGF	100	76.4	NS

Age of rabbits	32 weeks
Growth Factors	Control	OVX	p-Value
bFGF	100	70.6	<0.05
CTGF	100	50.7	<0.05
IGF-1	100	78.2	<0.05
NGF	100	69.4	<0.05
TGF-β	100	61.8	<0.05
VEGF	100	117.7	NS

Corneal tissues were collected from a cohort of skeletally mature and immature control and ovariohysterectomized (OVX) female rabbits. Tissue was collected at 2 months post-OXV from mature animals, and at 22 and 32 weeks of age (14 and 24 weeks post-OVX, respectively) for the immature animals. Corneal tissues were separated into central and peripheral areas using a 6 mm biopsy punch and mRNA levels for a subset of growth factors were determined by RT–PCR as described in the Materials and Methods section. Control values were set at 100%. Mean experimental values are only displayed for the central corneal tissues as the peripheral tissues did not exhibit any significant changes following OVX. Significant changes compared with normal controls are indicated (p<0.05 (significant), p=not significant [NS]).