Animal Model for the 4-kHz Tonal Dip

1978 ◽  
Vol 87 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Clark ◽  
Barbara A. Bohne

In humans, noise exposures produce permanent hearing losses which usually begin at 4 kHz. In chinchillas, a similar pattern of hearing loss was observed following exposure for 9 or 18 days to an octave band of noise with a center frequency of 0.5 kHz. Histopathological observations of cellular degeneration showed that this exposure produced different types of damage in the basal and apical turns of the cochlea. Behavioral measures of auditory function showed that damage in the basal turn was associated with permanent threshold shifts for one to several of the high frequencies. However, moderate losses of outer hair cells commonly appeared in the apical turn without permanent threshold shifts for low-frequency tones. These findings indicate that the pure-tone audiogram may not accurately reflect the condition of the organ of Corti after noise exposure.

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (24) ◽  
pp. 4103-4112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wu Li ◽  
Yong Feng ◽  
Anhai Chen ◽  
Taoxi Li ◽  
Sida Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract ELMOD3, an ARL2 GTPase-activating protein, is implicated in causing hearing impairment in humans. However, the specific role of ELMOD3 in auditory function is still far from being elucidated. In the present study, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to establish an Elmod3 knockout mice line in the C57BL/6 background (hereinafter referred to as Elmod3−/− mice) and investigated the role of Elmod3 in the cochlea and auditory function. Elmod3−/− mice started to exhibit hearing loss from 2 months of age, and the deafness progressed with aging, while the vestibular function of Elmod3−/− mice was normal. We also observed that Elmod3−/− mice showed thinning and receding hair cells in the organ of Corti and much lower expression of F-actin cytoskeleton in the cochlea compared with wild-type mice. The deafness associated with the mutation may be caused by cochlear hair cells dysfunction, which manifests with shortening and fusion of inner hair cells stereocilia and progressive degeneration of outer hair cells stereocilia. Our finding associates Elmod3 deficiencies with stereocilia dysmorphologies and reveals that they might play roles in the actin cytoskeleton dynamics in cochlear hair cells, and thus relate to hearing impairment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michio Murakoshi ◽  
Sho Suzuki ◽  
Hiroshi Wada

In the mammalian auditory system, the three rows of outer hair cells (OHCs) located in the cochlea are thought to increase the displacement amplitude of the organ of Corti. This cochlear amplification is thought to contribute to the high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and sharp frequency selectivity of the hearing system. Recent studies have shown that traumatic stimuli, such as noise exposure and ototoxic acid, cause functional loss of OHCs in one, two, or all three rows. However, the degree of decrease in cochlear amplification caused by such functional losses remains unclear. In the present study, a finite element model of a cross section of the gerbil cochlea was constructed. Then, to determine effects of the functional losses of OHCs on the cochlear amplification, changes in the displacement amplitude of the basilar membrane (BM) due to the functional losses of OHCs were calculated. Results showed that the displacement amplitude of the BM decreases significantly when a single row of OHCs lost its function, suggesting that all three rows of OHCs are required for cochlear amplification.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haim Sohmer

The three modes of auditory stimulation (air, bone and soft tissue conduction) at threshold intensities are thought to share a common excitation mechanism: the stimuli induce passive displacements of the basilar membrane propagating from the base to the apex (slow mechanical traveling wave), which activate the outer hair cells, producing active displacements, which sum with the passive displacements. However, theoretical analyses and modeling of cochlear mechanics provide indications that the slow mechanical basilar membrane traveling wave may not be able to excite the cochlea at threshold intensities with the frequency discrimination observed. These analyses are complemented by several independent lines of research results supporting the notion that cochlear excitation at threshold may not involve a passive traveling wave, and the fast cochlear fluid pressures may directly activate the outer hair cells: opening of the sealed inner ear in patients undergoing cochlear implantation is not accompanied by threshold elevations to low frequency stimulation which would be expected to result from opening the cochlea, reducing cochlear impedance, altering hydrodynamics. The magnitude of the passive displacements at threshold is negligible. Isolated outer hair cells in fluid display tuned mechanical motility to fluid pressures which likely act on stretch sensitive ion channels in the walls of the cells. Vibrations delivered to soft tissue body sites elicit hearing. Thus, based on theoretical and experimental evidence, the common mechanism eliciting hearing during threshold stimulation by air, bone and soft tissue conduction may involve the fast-cochlear fluid pressures which directly activate the outer hair cells.


2009 ◽  
Vol 123 (11) ◽  
pp. 1204-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Morales ◽  
M Garcia ◽  
C Perez ◽  
J V Valverde ◽  
C Lopez-Sanchez ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:To analyse the possible impact of low and extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on the outer hairs cells of the organ of Corti, in a guinea pig model.Materials and methods:Electromagnetic fields of 50, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 5000 Hz frequencies and 1.5 µT intensity were generated using a transverse electromagnetic wave guide. Guinea pigs of both sexes, weighing 100–150 g, were used, with no abnormalities on general and otic examination. Total exposure times were: 360 hours for 50, 500 and 1000 Hz; 3300 hours for 2000 Hz; 4820 hours for 4000 Hz; and 6420 hours for 5000 Hz. One control animal was used in each frequency group. The parameters measured by electric response audiometer included: hearing level; waves I–IV latencies; wave I–III interpeak latency; and percentage appearance of waves I–III at 90 and 50 dB sound pressure level intensity.Results:Values for the above parameters did not differ significantly, comparing the control animal and the rest of each group. In addition, no significant differences were found between our findings and those of previous studies of normal guinea pigs.Conclusion:Prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields of 50 Hz to 5 KHz frequencies and 1.5 µT intensity, produced no functional or morphological alteration in the outer hair cells of the guinea pig organ of Corti.


1999 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Lopez-Gonzalez ◽  
Juan M. Guerrero ◽  
Francisco Rojas ◽  
Carmen Osuna ◽  
Francisco Delgado

ORL ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 363-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph B. Nadol, Jr.

1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Omata ◽  
I Ohtani ◽  
K Ohtsuki ◽  
J Ouchi

A method for the detection of lactic dehydrogenase enzymatic activity in outer hair cells of the rabbit is described. The membranous labyrinth with temporal bone was prefixed in glutaraldehyde. After being placed into the incubation medium, it was postfixed in osmium tetroxide. Specimens of the organ of Corti were removed. Then the specimens were embedded in water-soluble glycol and cut with a cryostat for light microscopy, and also they were embedded in Epon and cut for light and electron microscopy. Sectioning of the membranous labyrinth was very easily made when the specimens were embedded in both the water-soluble glycol and the Epon. The structures of the frozen sections as well as the Epon-embedded ones were well preserved. In the frozen sections the preservation and localization of reaction products were thoroughly kept, but monoformazan of the Epon-embedded sections was soluble.


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