Membranous Cytoplasmic Bodies in the Lateral Wall of the Cat Cochlea

1992 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kensuke Watanabe ◽  
Atsushi Komatsuzaki
Keyword(s):  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Lateral Wall ◽  
Spiral Ligament ◽  
Phagocytic Function ◽  
The Core ◽  
Cytoplasmic Bodies ◽  
Dense Bodies ◽  
Intermediate Cells

Membranous cytoplasmic bodies (MCBs) were observed both in the intermediate cells of the stria vascularis and in the fibrocytes of the spiral ligament in normal cats. The MCBs in the intermediate cells were round or ovoid, ranged from 1 to 5 μm in diameter, and consisted of 2 to 40 or more layers disposed concentrically about a core. The core was composed of not only cytoplasm but also of mitochondria in various stages of disintegration, empty vacuoles, and many kinds of dense bodies similar to lysosomes. The MCBs in the fibrocytes were similar to those in the intermediate cells, but they were a little smaller in diameter and consisted of fewer than 10 layers. Both in the intermediate cells and in the fibrocytes, MCBs seem to have a phagocytic function.

scholarly journals Expression of Gap Junction Protein Connexin43 in the Adult Rat Cochlea: Comparison with Connexin26

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 903-912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiro Suzuki ◽  
Tetsuro Takamatsu ◽  
Masahito Oyamada
Keyword(s):  
Gap Junction ◽  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Organ Of Corti ◽  
Structural Difference ◽  
Lateral Wall ◽  
Spiral Ligament ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Junction Protein ◽  
Rat Cochlea

To elucidate whether the two different gap junction proteins connexin43 (Cx43) and connexin26 (Cx26) are expressed and localized in a similar manner in the adult rat cochlea, we performed three-dimensional confocal microscopy using cryosections and surface preparations. In the cochlear lateral wall, Cx43-positive spots were localized mainly in the stria vascularis and only a few spots were present in the spiral ligament, whereas Cx26-positive spots were detected in both the stria vascularis and the spiral ligament. In the spiral limbus, Cx43 was widely distributed, whereas Cx26 was more concentrated on the side facing the scala vestibuli and in the basal portion. In the organ of Corti, Cx43-positive spots were present between the supporting cells but they were fewer and much smaller than those of Cx26. These data demonstrated distinct differences between Cx43 and Cx26 in expression and localization in the cochlea. In addition, the area of overlap of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) immunolabeling with Cx43-positive spots was small, whereas it was fairly large with Cx26-positive spots in the cochlear lateral wall, suggesting that the differences are not associated with the structural difference between carboxyl terminals, i.e., those of Cx43 possess sequences for binding to ZO-1, whereas those of Cx26 lack these binding sequences.

Gastric type H+,K+-ATPase in the cochlear lateral wall is critically involved in formation of the endocochlear potential

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (5) ◽  
pp. C1038-C1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiaki Shibata ◽  
Hiroshi Hibino ◽  
Katsumi Doi ◽  
Toshihiro Suzuki ◽  
Yasuo Hisa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Specific Inhibitor ◽  
Lateral Wall ◽  
Endocochlear Potential ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Spiral Ligament ◽  
Gastric Type ◽  
Marginal Cells ◽  
Strong Immunoreactivity

Cochlear endolymph has a highly positive potential of approximately +80 mV known as the endocochlear potential (EP). The EP is essential for hearing and is maintained by K+ circulation from perilymph to endolymph through the cochlear lateral wall. Various K+ transport apparatuses such as the Na+,K+-ATPase, the Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter, and the K+ channels Kir4.1 and KCNQ1/KCNE1 are expressed in the lateral wall and are known to play indispensable roles in cochlear K+ circulation. The gastric type of the H+,K+-ATPase was also shown to be expressed in the cochlear lateral wall (Lecain E, Robert JC, Thomas A, and Tran Ba Huy P. Hear Res 149: 147–154, 2000), but its functional role has not been well studied. In this study we examined the precise localization of H+,K+-ATPase in the cochlea and its involvement in formation of EP. RT-PCR analysis showed that the cochlea expressed mRNAs of gastric α1-, but not colonic α2-, and β-subunits of H+,K+-ATPase. Immunolabeling of an antibody specific to the α1 subunit was detected in type II, IV, and V fibrocytes distributed in the spiral ligament of the lateral wall and in the spiral limbus. Strong immunoreactivity was also found in the stria vascularis. Immunoelectron microscopic examination exhibited that the H+,K+-ATPase was localized exclusively at the basolateral site of strial marginal cells. Application of Sch-28080, a specific inhibitor of gastric H+,K+-ATPase, to the spiral ligament as well as to the stria vascularis caused prominent reduction of EP. These results may imply that the H+,K+-ATPase in the cochlear lateral wall is crucial for K+ circulation and thus plays a critical role in generation of EP.

Distribution and significance of endothelin 1 in guinea pig cochlear lateral wall

2007 ◽  
Vol 121 (8) ◽  
pp. 721-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
D-Y Xu ◽  
Y-D Tang ◽  
S-X Liu ◽  
J Liu
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Lateral Wall ◽  
Complex Method ◽  
Spiral Ligament ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Endothelin 1 ◽  
Marginal Cells ◽  
Spiral Ligament Fibrocytes ◽  
Avidin Biotin Complex

AbstractEndothelin 1 is a vasoconstrictive peptide with many biological functions. To investigate the distribution of endothelin 1 in guinea pig cochlear lateral wall and the significance of endothelin 1 in maintaining cochlear homeostasis, the immunohistochemistry avidin biotin complex method was applied by using rabbit anti-endothelin 1 polyclonal antibody as primary antibody. Endothelin-1-like activities were detected in the marginal cells, spiral prominence epithelial cells, outer sulcus cells, stria vascularis capillaries, basal cells and spiral ligament fibrocytes.These results suggest that endothelin 1 may play an important role in maintaining cochlear homeostasis.

scholarly journals Acoustic Trauma Modulates Cochlear Blood Flow and Vasoactive Factors in a Rodent Model of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (21) ◽  
pp. 5316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun-Ae Shin ◽  
Ah-Ra Lyu ◽  
Seong-Hun Jeong ◽  
Tae Hwan Kim ◽  
Min Jung Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Hearing Threshold ◽  
Lateral Wall ◽  
Acoustic Trauma ◽  
Threshold Shift ◽  
Spiral Ligament ◽  
Cochlear Blood Flow ◽  
Vasoactive Factors ◽  
Spiral Ligament Fibrocytes

Noise exposure affects the organ of Corti and the lateral wall of the cochlea, including the stria vascularis and spiral ligament. Although the inner ear vasculature and spiral ligament fibrocytes in the lateral wall consist of a significant proportion of cells in the cochlea, relatively little is known regarding their functional significance. In this study, 6-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to noise trauma to induce transient hearing threshold shift (TTS) or permanent hearing threshold shift (PTS). Compared to mice with TTS, mice with PTS exhibited lower cochlear blood flow and lower vessel diameter in the stria vascularis, accompanied by reduced expression levels of genes involved in vasodilation and increased expression levels of genes related to vasoconstriction. Ultrastructural analyses by transmission electron microscopy revealed that the stria vascularis and spiral ligament fibrocytes were more damaged by PTS than by TTS. Moreover, mice with PTS expressed significantly higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the cochlea (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Overall, our findings suggest that cochlear microcirculation and lateral wall pathologies are differentially modulated by the severity of acoustic trauma and are associated with changes in vasoactive factors and inflammatory responses in the cochlea.

Another role for melanocytes: their importance for normal stria vascularis development in the mammalian inner ear

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.P. Steel ◽  
C. Barkway
Keyword(s):  
Neural Crest ◽  
Basal Cell ◽  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Normal Adult ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Cochlear Duct ◽  
Cell Layers ◽  
Marginal Cells ◽  
Intermediate Cells ◽  
And Function

The stria vascularis of the mammalian cochlea is composed primarily of three types of cells. Marginal cells line the lumen of the cochlear duct and are of epithelial origin. Basal cells also form a continuous layer and they may be mesodermal or derived from the neural crest. Intermediate cells are melanocyte-like cells, presumably derived from the neural crest, and are scattered between the marginal and basal cell layers. The marginal cells form extensive interdigitations with the basal and intermediate cells in the normal adult stria. The stria also contains a rich supply of blood vessels. We investigated the role of melanocytes in the stria vascularis by studying its development in a mouse mutant, viable dominant spotting, which is known to have a primary neural crest defect leading to an absence of recognisable melanocytes in the skin. Melanocytes were not found in the stria of most of the mutants examined, and from about 6 days of age onwards a reduced amount of interdigitation amongst the cells of the stria was observed. These ultrastructural anomalies were associated with strial dysfunction. In the normal adult mammal, the stria produces an endocochlear potential (EP), a resting dc potential in the endolymph in the cochlear duct, which in mice is normally about +100 mV. In our control mice, EP rose to adult levels between 6 and 16 days after birth. In most of the mutants we studied, EP was close to zero at all ages from 6 to 20 days. Melanocyte-like cells appear to be vital for normal stria vascularis development and function. They may be necessary to facilitate the normal process of interdigitation between marginal and basal cell processes at a particular stage during development, and the lack of adequate interdigitation in the mutants may be the cause of their strial dysfunction. Alternatively, melanocytes may have some direct, essential role in the production of an EP by the stria. Melanocytes may be important both for normal strial development and for the production of the EP. We believe this is the clearest demonstration yet of a role for migratory melanocytes other than their role in pigmentation.

Ultrastructural Characteristics of Capillaries Entering and Leaving the Stria Vascularis

1986 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kensuke Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Horseradish Peroxidase ◽  
Basal Cell ◽  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Spiral Ligament ◽  
Perivascular Spaces ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Vascular Flow ◽  
Cell Layers ◽  
Ultrastructural Characteristics

Capillaries entering and leaving the stria vascularis were surrounded by layers of basal cells and fibrocytes. The entering capillaries were surrounded by one or two thin basal cells, while the leaving capillaries were surrounded by four or five thicker and interdigitated basal cell layers. Moreover, the layers surrounding the leaving capillaries persisted further into the spiral ligament. Two kinds of filaments were observed in the basal cells, one thin and the other thick. Capillaries were observed to leak horseradish peroxidase before they entered and after they left the stria vascularis. Although the reaction product of horseradish peroxidase was observed in all perivascular spaces of leaving capillaries, very little or no reaction product was observed around some entering capillaries. It is speculated that the layers of basal cells and fibrocytes around entering and leaving capillaries control the vascular flow out of the stria vascularis, although the layers around leaving capillaries may be more contractile than those around entering capillaries.

Mechanisms of hearing loss and cell death in the cochlea of connexin mutant mice

2020 ◽  
Vol 319 (3) ◽  
pp. C569-C578
Author(s):  
Bei Chen ◽  
Hongen Xu ◽  
Yanfang Mi ◽  
Wei Jiang ◽  
Dan Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hair Cell ◽  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Reactive Oxygen Species Generation ◽  
Cell Loss ◽  
Outer Hair Cells ◽  
Spiral Ligament ◽  
Hair Cell Loss ◽  
Auditory Brain Stem Response

Mutations in connexin 30 (Cx30) are known to cause severe congenital hearing impairment; however, the mechanism by which Cx30 mediates homeostasis of endocochlear gap junctions is unclear. We used a gene deletion mouse model to explore the mechanisms of Cx30 in preventing hearing loss. Our results suggest that despite severe loss of the auditory brain-stem response and endocochlear potential at postnatal day 18, Cx30−/− mice only show sporadic loss of the outer hair cells. This inconsistency in the time course and severity of hearing and hair cell losses in Cx30−/− mice might be explained, in part, by an increase in reactive oxygen species generation beginning at postnatal day 10. The expression of oxidative stress genes was increased in Cx30−/− mice in the stria vascularis, spiral ligament, and organ of Corti. Furthermore, Cx30 deficiency caused mitochondrial dysfunction at postnatal day 18, as assessed by decreased ATP levels and decreased expression of mitochondrial complex I proteins, especially in the stria vascularis. Proteomic analysis further identified 444 proteins that were dysregulated in Cx30−/− mice, including several that are involved in mitochondria electron transport, ATP synthesis, or ion transport. Additionally, proapoptotic proteins, including Bax, Bad, and caspase-3, were upregulated at postnatal day 18, providing a molecular basis to explain the loss of hearing that occurs before hair cell loss. Therefore, our results are consistent with an environment of oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in the cochlea of Cx30−/− mice that is coincident with hearing loss but precedes hair cell loss.

KCNJ10 (Kir4.1) potassium channel knockout abolishes endocochlear potential

2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (2) ◽  
pp. C403-C407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Marcus ◽  
Tao Wu ◽  
Philine Wangemann ◽  
Paulo Kofuji
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Stria Vascularis ◽  
Endocochlear Potential ◽  
Sensory Transduction ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Main Charge ◽  
Marginal Cells ◽  
Intermediate Cells ◽  
Two Barriers

Stria vascularis of the cochlea generates the endocochlear potential and secretes K+. K+ is the main charge carrier and the endocochlear potential the main driving force for the sensory transduction that leads to hearing. Stria vascularis consists of two barriers, marginal cells that secrete potassium and basal cells that are coupled via gap junctions to intermediate cells. Mice lacking the KCNJ10 (Kir4.1) K+ channel in strial intermediate cells did not generate an endocochlear potential. Endolymph volume and K+ concentration ([K+]) were reduced. These studies establish that the KCNJ10 K+ channel provides the molecular mechanism for generation of the endocochlear potential in concert with other transport pathways that establish the [K+] difference across the channel. KCNJ10 is also a limiting pathway for K+ secretion.

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