AIM: To establish animal models of posterior capsule opacification(PCO)in New Zealand white rabbits and detect the expression of the Livin in PCO tissue.

METHODS:Thirty healthy adult New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. Ultrasonic phacoemulsifications were performed in the 25 experiment rabbits under intramuscular injection anesthesia. The rabbits'eyes were examined by slit lamp microscope to observe the development of PCO after surgery and at 3d, 7d, 14d and 28d. The 5 rabbits in control group were executed to take the posterior capsule of right eyes. Reverse transcription polymerase(RT-PCR)and western-blotting were performed to detect the expression of Livin in PCO at different time points postoperatively.

RESULTS: Both RT-PCR and western-blotting method indicated that different levels of expression of Livin could be detected in the tissue of PCO in group B, C, D, E except control group and group A that instantly after surgery. The two methods indicated that Livin reached the peak in group C and decreased in group D, lower in group E and in group B reached the bottom.

CONCLUSION:The expression of Livin can be detected in the tissue of PCO in a certain similar time. The study indicated that Livin correlates with the pathogenesis of PCO. It may provide a novel tool for the investigation of gene therapy for PCO.