Neuroscience
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Stains for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and retrograde labeling with Fluorogold (FG) were used to study olivocochlear neurons and their dendritic patterns in mice. The two methods gave similar results for location and number of somata. The total number of medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons in the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body (VNTB) is about 170 per side. ⋯ DPO neurons, however, had more symmetric dendrites that projected into more dorsal parts of the trapezoid body, suggesting that this small group of olivocochlear neurons has very different physiological properties. Dendrites of both types of neurons were somewhat elongated rostrally, about 20% longer than those directed caudally. These results can be interpreted as extensions of dendrites of olivocochlear neurons toward their synaptic inputs: medially to meet crossing fibers from the cochlear nucleus that are part of the MOC reflex pathway, and rostrally to meet descending inputs from higher centers.
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We used an antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) to label cholinergic cells in guinea pig brainstem. ChAT-immunoreactive (IR) cells comprise several prominent groups, including the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, and parabigeminal nucleus, as well as the cranial nerve somatic motor and parasympathetic nuclei. Additional concentrations are present in the parabrachial nuclei and superior colliculus. ⋯ A few ChAT-IR cells are found in the cochlear nucleus and the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus. The distribution of cholinergic cells in guinea pigs is largely similar to that of other species; differences occur mainly in cell groups that have few ChAT-IR cells. The results provide a basis for further studies to characterize the connections of these cholinergic groups.
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Genes that are highly expressed in the inner ear, as revealed by cDNA microarray analysis, may have a crucial functional role there. Those that are expressed specifically in auditory tissues are likely to be good candidates to screen for genetic alterations in patients with deafness, and several genes have been successfully identified as responsible for hereditary hearing loss. To understand the detailed mechanisms of the hearing loss caused by the mutations in these genes, the present study examined the immunocytochemical localization of the proteins encoded by Crym, KIAA1199 homolog, Uba52, Col9a3, and Col9a1 in the cochlea of rats and mice. ⋯ Uba52 protein was restrictedly localized within the surface of the marginal cells of the stria vascularis. Collagen type IX was found within the tectorial membrane as well as fibrocytes in the spiral ligament. The present results showed cell-specific localization of the encoded proteins of these highly expressed genes, indicating that the coordinated actions of various molecules distributed in different parts of the cochlea are essential for maintenance of auditory processing in the cochlea.
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The inferior colliculus is a major relay nucleus in the ascending auditory pathways that receives multiple glutamatergic inputs. Vesicular glutamate transporters 1 and 2 (VGLUT1, VGLUT2) most often have complementary non-overlapping distributions and can be used to differentiate glutamatergic inputs. The present study therefore examined co-immunolabeling of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 in three divisions of the rat inferior colliculus. ⋯ VGLUT2 immunolabeled terminals were numerous on the soma and proximal dendrites of many medium-to-large and large neurons in the central nucleus and medium to large neurons in the dorsal cortex. There were more VGLUT2 terminals than VGLUT1 in all divisions and more VGLUT2 terminals in dorsal and lateral cortices than in the central nucleus. This study shows that VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 differentiate complementary patterns of glutamatergic inputs into the central nucleus, lateral and dorsal cortex of the inferior colliculus with VGLUT1 endings predominantly on the dendrites and VGLUT2 on both dendrites and somas.
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Comparative Study
Effects of cochlear ablation on amino acid concentrations in the chinchilla posteroventral cochlear nucleus, as compared to rat.
Using a microchemical approach, we measured changes of amino acid concentrations in the chinchilla caudal posteroventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN) after cochlear ablation to determine to what extent slow decreases of glutamate and aspartate concentrations after carboplatin treatment resulted from slower effects of cochlear damage in chinchillas than in rats and guinea pigs, as opposed to effects of carboplatin treatment being slower than those of cochlear ablation. Our results indicate that both factors are involved: decreases of glutamate and aspartate concentrations after cochlear ablation are much slower in chinchillas than in rats and guinea pigs, but they are much faster than the decreases after carboplatin treatment. Further, aspartate and glutamate concentrations in the chinchilla caudal PVCN decreased by larger amounts after cochlear ablation than in rats or guinea pigs, and there was a transient increase of aspartate concentration at short survival times. ⋯ There were also sustained bilateral decreases in concentrations of other amino acids, notably GABA and glycine, in the caudal PVCN of cochlea-ablated chinchillas but not rats. The effects of cochlear ablation on the concentrations of most of these other amino acids in chinchilla caudal PVCN differed from those of carboplatin treatment. Thus, although a major effect of auditory nerve damage on the cochlear nucleus-decreases of glutamate and aspartate concentrations-occurs across species and types of lesions, the details of timing and magnitude and the effects on other amino acids can vary greatly.