title: A lacrimal gland is a lacrimal gland, but rodent's and rabbit's are not human.
abstract: Research into the physiological processes governing both normal and abnormal functions of the lacrimal gland has used animal models to provide insights that might be applied to improving our understanding of human disease and designing of beneficial therapeutic interventions. Animal models most frequently used are mice, rats, and rabbits. As participants in research into normal and abnormal lacrimal gland function, the authors have observed significant differences between the various animal models, and these differences must be considered in investigational studies. This review summarizes a wide range of topics, including structural organization of the lacrimal gland and the immunological, secretomotor and hormonal processes regulating lacrimal gland function in all three animal models. In addition, comparisons with relevant aspects of the human lacrimal gland are included where permitted by available data.
authors: Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Doheny Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9112, USA. Schecthe@usc.edu
authors: Joel E
authors: JE
authors: Schechter
authors: Dwight W
authors: DW
authors: Warren
authors: Austin K
authors: AK
authors: Mircheff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats