Table 2

Presence of types 1 and 2 5α-reductase mRNA in human ocular tissues and cells

Tissue		Sex		Age		Pathology	5α-Reductase mRNA
Tissue		Sex		Age		Pathology	Type 1	Type 2
Lacrimal gland	female	82	sebaceous gland carcinoma	+	+
Lacrimal gland	male	elderly	hypertrophy	+	+
Lacrimal gland	male	80		+	+
Meibomian gland	female	82	sebaceous gland carcinoma	+	+
Meibomian gland	female	79	ectropion	−	−
Meibomian gland	male	58	ectropion	+	+
Meibomian gland	male	68	ectropion	+	+
Meibomian gland	male	74	ectropion	+	+
Bulbar conjunctiva^*	female	30, 74, 75	cataract, cataract, cataract	+	+
Bulbar conjunctiva^*	male	32, 66, 76	pterygium, pterygium, cataract	+	+
Cornea^†	female	30, 33, 85	HSK, HSK, corneal scar	+	+
Cornea^†	male	48, 73, 82	HSK, transplant rejection, ABK	+	+
Cornea^‡	male	83	heart disease	+	+
RPE cells^§	male	71	cardiac arrest	+	+

HSK = herpes simplex keratitis; ABK = aphakic bullous keratopathy.
Tissues and cells were obtained and processed either individually or as combined preparations for molecular biological analysis. The designated samples of bulbar conjunctiva^* and cornea^† were pools of three female or three male tissues. Similarly, two corneas^‡ purchased from the eye bank were combined into one sample. The RPE (retinal pigment epithelial) cells originated from two separate cultures, which were derived from the same tissue. Both RPE cell preparations were positive for types 1 and 2 5α-reductase mRNA. Data are reported as the presence (+) or absence (−) of the specific reductase isozyme, as determined by RT-PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis.