IOPs of a subset (see Table 1) of male (A) and female (B) mice used in this study.

<p>Average IOP of male mice was not significantly different between the 3 genotypes (<i>p>0</i>.<i>09</i>, ANCOVA). In contrast, female C1qa -/- and C1qa +/- mice had higher IOPs than their C1qa +/+ littermates (<i>p<0</i>.<i>000001</i>, ANCOVA). Error bars represent standard errors of mean at each age.</p

Numbers of eyes used for IOP determination at each age group.

<p>Numbers of eyes used for IOP determination at each age group.</p

Mean (± SEM) semi-quantitative ON scores of male (A) and female (B) congenic C1qa DBA/2 mice.

<p>Animals are grouped in three age groups: 5–6 months of age, 9–10 months of age and 11–13 months of age. Sample sizes: 22 C1q +/+, 32 C1q +/-, 12 C1q -/- at 5–6 months, 11 C1q +/+, 6 C1q +/-, 16 C1q -/- at 9–10 months and 11 C1q +/+, 36 C1q +/-, 18 C1q -/- at 11–13 months in male mice. 12 C1q +/+, 13 C1q +/-, 19 C1q -/- at 5–6 months, 11 C1q +/+, 17 C1q +/-, 13 C1q -/- at 9–10 months, 27 C1q +/+, 16 C1q +/-, 25 C1q -/- at 11–13 months in female mice. Statistically significant differences in post-hoc comparisons are indicated by a (*). NS: no statistical significance.</p

Modeling of RGC loss in C1qa -/- and C1qa +/+ congenic male (A) and female (B) mouse eyes.

<p>Absence of C1qa decreases the rate of RGC loss in male animals, resulting in a significant difference at 9–10 months of age and a smaller difference later in the course of the disease. A similar effect is not observed in females as increased IOP in C1qa -/- animals shifts RGC loss to earlier time-points, making RGC differences only detectable at 11–13 months of age. Dashed line indicates the theoretically expected RGC loss in C1qa +/+ mouse eyes if they had IOP elevation similar to the levels observed in C1qa -/- mice. Dotted line indicates the theoretically expected RGC loss in C1qa -/- mouse eyes if they had IOPs similar to their C1qa +/+ littermates.</p

Mean (± SEM) number of intersections at various radii from the cell soma of retinal microglia located in the nerve fiber layer of eyes from male (A) and female (B) C1qa +/+ and C1qa -/- mice 6 months of age.

<p>Microglia images were obtained at a distance of 1000um from the optic nerve (2 per retina).</p

Correlation between semi-quantitative scoring and counting of RGCs (A) and ON axons (B).

<p>Linear regression coefficients (<i>R</i>^<i>2</i>) are indicated on the graphs.</p

Mean (± SEM) semi-quantitative RGC scores of male (A) and female (B) congenic C1qa DBA/2 mice and RGC counts of a subset of the eyes of male (C) and female (D) animals.

<p>Animals are grouped in three age groups: 5–6 months of age, 9–10 months of age and 11–13 months of age. Sample sizes: 18 C1q +/+, 19 C1q +/-, 22 C1q -/- at 5–6 months, 14 C1q +/+, 18 C1q +/-, 18 C1q -/- at 9–10 months and 13 C1q +/+, 34 C1q +/-, 22 C1q -/- at 11–13 months in male mice. 14 C1q +/+, 16 C1q +/-, 21 C1q -/- at 5–6 months, 11 C1q +/+, 21 C1q +/-, 16 C1q -/- at 9–10 months, 11 C1q +/+, 21 C1q +/-, 16 C1q -/- at 11–13 months in female mice. Only eyes from mice in the 9–10 and 11–13 age groups were subjected to RGC counting. Sample sizes: 9 C1q +/+, 14 C1q-/- at 9–10 months, 6 C1q +/+, 11 C1q -/- at 11–13 months in males, 7 C1q +/+, 10 C1q -/- at 9–10 months, 5 C1q +/+, 14 C1q -/- at 11–13 months in females. Statistically significant differences in post-hoc comparisons are indicated by a (*). NS: no statistical significance.</p

Proportion of eyes from male (A, C, E) and female (B, D, F) congenic C1qa DBA/2 mice with various levels of ON axonal degeneration at 5–6 (A, B), 9–10 (C, D) and 11–13 (E, F) months of age.

<p>Eyes are grouped as having ON axonal degeneration below (scores <3) or above (scores ≥3) the median.</p