Molecular Vision: Achari, Mol Vis 2008; 14:443-455. Table 3

Table 3. Changes in mRNA levels for CathK, OPN and TSP-1 in the central cornea of rabbits following ovariohysterectomy.

Mature animals
Protein	Control	OVX	p-Value
Cathepsin K	100	61.2	0.0006
Osteopontin	100	55.3	0.0008
Thrombospondin 1	100	82.6	NS
Immature animals
Age of rabbits	22 weeks
Protein	Control	OVX	p-Value
Cathepsin K	100	72.6	NS
Osteopontin	100	78.4	NS
Thrombospondin 1	100	136.8	NS

Age of rabbits	32 weeks
Protein	Control	OVX	p-Value
Cathepsin K	100	42.8	<0.05
Osteopontin	100	73.9	NS
Thrombospondin 1	100	95.5	NS

Corneal tissues were collected from a cohort of skeletally mature and immature control and ovariohysterectomized (OVX) female rabbits as described in Table 2. Corneal tissues were separated into central and peripheral areas using a 6 mm biopsy punch and mRNA levels for the indicated molecules determined by RT–PCR. Only values for the central corneal tissues are presented and are given as mean percentage of cathepsin K, osteopontin or thrombospondin 1 mRNA levels in normal control tissues. Significant changes compared with normal controls are indicated (p<0.05 (significant), p=not significant [NS]).