The BUT of 10−4 mg/ml α-MSH-treated dry eye rats at each time point, albeit at the subnormal level, was significantly greater than that in the saline-treated counterparts (Fig. 1B, D+10−4 α-MSH vs D+NaCl, p < 0.05 for Days 7 and 21, p < 0.001 for Day 14, p < 0.01 for Day 28). This evidence concerns the gene STAMBP and Keratoconjunctivitis sicca.