The opioid receptors in inner ear of different stages of postnatal rats

There is increasing evidence that the opioid system has a role in hearing. To provide further evidence for such a role, the expression of opioid receptor mRNAs and proteins in the inner ear of rats was studied during development from birth (P0) to postnatal day 16 (P16). A semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to detect changes in the expression of delta- (DOR) kappa- (KOR) and mu- (MOR) opioid receptor mRNAs in rat cochleae at P0, P4, P8 and P16. Expression of DOR mRNA levels steadily increased from P0 to P8 with no further increases by P16. KOR mRNA was expressed at a relatively high level at P0 and P4 followed by a decrease while MOR mRNA was expressed at a low level at P0 and P4 followed by an increase by P8 and P16. Immunocytochemical labelling of inner ear sections revealed unique developmental and distribution patterns of opioid receptors. In the organ of Corti DOR immunoreactivity (DOR-IR) was detected in hair cells from P4. In contrast MOR-IR was present only in supporting cells at P0-P16. In the spiral ganglion all three receptor subtypes were expressed from P0 on nerve cell soma and qualitatively appeared to increase with age. Also DOR-IR and MOR-IR were detected at P8 and P16 in nerve fibers within the spiral ganglion. In the limbus DOR-IR was detected at P8 and P16 on cells proximal to the tectorial membrane while MOR-IR was detected more distally. In general these findings demonstrate that within the inner ear each receptor subtype follows specific temporal and spatial developmental patterns, some of which may be associated to the onset of hearing. The data provide further evidence that the opioid system may play a role in the development and functioning of the inner ear.

Claudin 14 knockout mice, a model for autosomal recessive deafness DFNB29, are deaf due to cochlear hair cell degeneration

Tight junctions (TJs) create ion-selective paracellular permeability barriers between extracellular compartments. In the organ of Corti of the inner ear, TJs of the reticular lamina separate K(+)-rich endolymph and Na(+)-rich perilymph. In humans, mutations of the gene encoding claudin 14 TJ protein cause profound deafness but the underlying pathogenesis is unknown. To explore the role of claudin 14 in the inner ear and in other tissues we created a mouse model by a targeted deletion of Cldn14. In the targeted allele a lacZ cassette is expressed under the Cldn14 promoter. In Cldn14-lacZ heterozygous mice beta-galactosidase activity was detected in cochlear inner and outer hair cells and supporting cells, in the collecting ducts of the kidney, and around the lobules of the liver. Cldn14-null mice have a normal endocochlear potential but are deaf due to rapid degeneration of cochlear outer hair cells, followed by slower degeneration of the inner hair cells, during the first 3 weeks of life. Monolayers of MDCK cells expressing claudin 14 show a 6-fold increase in the transepithelial electrical resistance by decreasing paracellular permeability for cations. In wild type mice, claudin 14 was immunolocalized at hair cell and supporting cell TJs. Our data suggest that the TJ complex at the apex of the reticular lamina requires claudin 14 as a cation-restrictive barrier to maintain the proper ionic composition of the fluid surrounding the basolateral surface of outer hair cells.

The presence of opioid receptors in rat inner ear

Opioid peptides have been identified in the inner ear but relatively little information is available about the expression and distribution of their receptors. The aim of the present study was therefore to identify and localize the mu (MOR), delta (DOR) and kappa (KOR) opioid receptor subtypes within the rat cochlea. The expression of these opioid receptor subtypes was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction followed by nested polymerase chain reaction analysis. Amplification of RNAs from rat cerebral cortex (positive control) and rat cochlea with MOR, DOR and KOR primers resulted in products of the predicted lengths, 564, 356 and 276 bp, respectively. Restriction digestion confirmed the identity of these products. All three receptor subtypes were identified in the cochlea and further characterized by immunocytochemistry. DOR and KOR immunoreactivity was found in inner and outer hair cells, bipolar cells of the spiral ganglion and interdental cells of the limbus. In contrast, no MOR immunoreactivity was observed in the inner and outer hair cells, and interdental cells. All three types of receptor fibers were also detected in the bipolar cells and nerve fibers within the spiral ganglion. In addition, MOR- and KOR-containing nerve fibers were observed in the limbus. These findings are the first report of the presence of all three classical opioid receptors in the inner ear and suggest that these receptors may have both presynaptic and postsynaptic roles.

Mutations in the gene for connexin 26 (GJB2) that cause hearing loss have a dominant negative effect on connexin 30

Mutations in the gene (GJB2) encoding connexin 26 (cx26) have been linked to sensorineural hearing loss either alone or as part of a syndrome. Here we compare the properties of four cx26 mutants derived from point mutations associated with dominantly inherited hearing loss, either non-syndromic (W44S, R75W) or with various skin disorders (G59A, D66H, R75W). Since cx26 and cx30 are co-localized within the inner ear the effect of the dominant cx26 mutations on both of these wild-type proteins was determined. Communication-deficient HeLa cells were transiently transfected with the various cDNA constructs by microinjection. Dye transfer studies using the gap junction permeant tracer Cascade Blue demonstrated a disruption to the intercellular coupling for all four of the mutant proteins. Immunostaining of the transfected cells revealed that for the G59A and D66H mutants this correlated with impaired intracellular trafficking and targeting to the plasma membrane, as both proteins had a perinuclear localization. The impaired trafficking was rescued by oligomerization both with cx26 and with cx30, suggesting that cx26 and cx30 can form heteromeric connexons. Significantly reduced dye transfer rates were observed between cells co-expressing either cx26 or cx30 together with W44S or R75W compared with the wild-type proteins alone. The dominant actions of the G59A and D66H mutants were only on cx30 and cx26, respectively. We suggest that cx26 and cx30 form heteromeric connexons in vivo, within the inner ear, with particular properties essential for hearing. Disruption of these heteromeric channels by certain mutations may underlie the non-syndromic nature of the deafness.

Connexins and gap junctions in the inner ear

Mutations in the genes for three different isotypes of the gap junction channel protein connexin are associated with deafness. This indicates an important role for gap junctions in auditory function and provides an opportunity to explore structure-function relationships in the connexin molecule. We have been examining the distribution of gap junctions and the pattern of connexin expression in the mature inner ear and during development, and the effect of specific mutations on the processing and functionality of the expressed connexin proteins in an in vitro system.

The molecular architecture of the inner ear

The inner ear is structurally complex. A molecular description of its architecture is now emerging from the use of contemporary methods of cell and molecular biology, and from studies of ontogenetic development. With the application of clinical and molecular genetics, it has now become possible to identify genes associated with inherited, non-syndromic deafness and balance dysfunction in humans and in mice. This work is providing new insights into how the tissues of the inner ear are built to perform their tasks, and into the pathogenesis of a range of inner ear disorders.

Differential vulnerability of basal and apical hair cells is based on intrinsic susceptibility to free radicals

The base of the cochlea is more vulnerable to trauma than the apex as seen in the pattern of hair cell damage by cisplatin or aminoglycosides. The differential vulnerability is maintained in organotypic cultures exposed directly to these drugs, suggesting there may be an intrinsic difference in sensitivity to damage along the cochlear spiral. We therefore investigated the survival capacity of isolated outer hair cells and strips dissected from different turns of the guinea pig organ of Corti in short-term culture. Cells were stained with fluorescent indicators of viable or dead cells, calcein-AM and ethidium homodimer. After 5 h at room temperature, up to 90% of outer hair cells from the apex survived, but less than 30% from the base. In contrast, basal inner hair cells remained viable, and supporting cells survived for at least 20 h. The difference in survival capacity between basal and apical outer hair cells coincided with a significantly lower level of the antioxidant glutathione in basal outer hair cells compared with apical outer hair cells. This suggested that basal outer hair cells may be more vulnerable to free-radical damage than apical outer hair cells. The survival of basal outer hair cells was significantly improved by addition of the radical scavengers n-acetyl cysteine, p-phenylenediamine, glutathione, mannitol or salicylate. The protection by antioxidants implies that the accelerated death of basal outer hair cells is due to free-radical damage. The results support an intrinsic susceptibility to free radicals that differs among cochlear cell populations. This differential provides a rational explanation for base-to-apex gradients observed in various forms of cochlear pathology.

Aminoglycoside antibiotics

In the 50 years since their discovery, the aminoglycoside antibiotics have seen unprecedented use. Discovered in the 1940s, they were the long-sought remedy for tuberculosis and other serious bacterial infections. The side effects of renal and auditory toxicity, however, led to a decline of their use in most countries in the 1970s and 1980s. Nevertheless, today the aminoglycosides are still the most commonly used antibiotics worldwide thanks to the combination of their high efficacy with low cost. This review first summarizes the history, chemistry, antibacterial actions and acute side effects of the drugs. It then details the pathophysiology of aminoglycoside ototoxicity including experimental and clinical observations, risk factors and incidence. Pharmacokinetics, cellular actions and our current understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of ototoxicity are discussed at length. The review concludes with recent advances towards therapeutic intervention to prevent aminoglycoside ototoxicity.

Apoptotic death of hair cells in mammalian vestibular sensory epithelia

Hair cell death was examined in cultured explants of vestibular organs from mature guinea pigs and gerbils. The effects of gentamicin were compared with those of staurosporine, a membrane-permeable kinase inhibitor that induces programmed cell death in almost all cell types. Under the conditions used staurosporine killed hair cells but supporting cells appeared unaffected, and a topographic pattern of differential sensitivity to staurosporine amongst hair cells, similar to that described for aminoglycoside antibiotics, was revealed. This suggests such differential sensitivity is an inherent property of the hair cell population. Thin sectioning, and examination of whole mount preparations after application of the TUNEL procedure or after double fluorescent labelling with phalloidin and with propidium iodide, which labels nuclei, revealed that hair cells after exposure to gentamicin show features identical to those of apoptotic cells after exposure to staurosporine. Furthermore, cells showing features of apoptosis constitute a major proportion of the hair cells that are ultimately lost following exposure to gentamicin. Incubation of cultures with gentamicin in the presence of broad-spectrum inhibitors of caspases, proteases involved specifically in the cell death pathway, prevented almost all of the hair cell deaths normally triggered by gentamicin. This confirms that apoptosis is the predominant mode of hair cell death after gentamicin exposure. Hair cells exposed to gentamicin in the presence of caspase inhibitors appeared to be preserved intact. This, and the thin section observations, suggests that apoptotic death is the fate of the majority of hair cells affected by that drug and that any sub-lethal damage to hair cells exposed to gentamicin does not result in significant morphological alterations. Hair cell death was also prevented by deferoxamine which has been shown to protect cochlear hair cells in vivo from the effects of gentamicin. Explant cultures of mature vestibular organs may be, therefore, a useful model system for examining putative hair cell protecting agents.

Properties of connexin26 gap junctional proteins derived from mutations associated with non-syndromal heriditary deafness

Three point mutations of the connexin26 (GJB2) gene associated with hereditary deafness were studied using in vitro expression systems. Mutation M34T results in an amino acid substitution in the first transmembrane domain of the connexin protein, W77R is located in the second transmembrane domain and W44C is in the first extracellular loop. Wild-type and mutated connexin vectors were constructed and transfected into communication-deficient HeLa cells to obtain transient expression of the connexin proteins. Intercellular coupling was subsequently assessed by examining transfer of Lucifer yellow between cells. All three mutations resulted in impaired intercellular coupling. The mechanistic reasons for the functional inadequacies of the mutated proteins were investigated. First, intracellular trafficking and targeting of the expressed connexins were determined by immunohistochemistry. Mutation W77R was inefficiently targeted to the plasma membrane and retained in intracellular stores whereas the other two were targeted to the plasma membrane. Oligomerization assays showed that connexins M34T and W77R failed to assemble efficiently into hexameric gap junction hemichannels, but the W44C mutation did so. A cell-free translation system showed that the mutated proteins were inserted into microsomal membranes but the mutations have different effects on the post-translational properties of the expressed proteins. The results point to the conclusion that mutations in the transmembrane domains of connexin proteins influence gap junction assembly.

A missense mutation in myosin VIIA prevents aminoglycoside accumulation in early postnatal cochlear hair cells

Myosin VIIA is expressed by sensory hair cells in the inner ear and proximal tubule cells in the kidney, the two primary targets of aminoglycoside antibiotics. Using cochlear cultures prepared from early postnatal Myo7a6J mice with a missense mutation in the head region of the myosin VIIA molecule we show that this myosin is required for aminoglycoside accumulation in cochlear hair cells. Hair cells in homozygous mutant Myo7a6J cochlear cultures have disorganized hair bundles, but are otherwise morphologically normal and transduce. However, and in contrast to hair cells from heterozygous Myo7a6J cultures, the homozygous Myo7a6J hair cells do not accumulate [3H]gentamicin and do not exhibit an ototoxic response on exposure to aminoglycoside. Possible roles for myosin VIIA in the process of aminoglycoside accumulation are discussed.

Establishment of hair bundle polarity and orientation in the developing vestibular system of the mouse

The morphological development of the vestibular maculae in the mouse was studied in order to identify elements that may determine how hair-bundle polarity is established. Utricles and saccules develop in parallel. Hair-bundles first appear at embryonic day (E) 13.5. They are initially not polarised and have a kinocilium located at the centre of the cell surface surrounded by stereocilia. Polarisation is rapidly established as the kinocilium becomes eccentrically positioned. The orientation of these polarised bundles is initially not random. It varies systematically across the maculae and the general orientation in utricles is the opposite of that in saccules. At E15.5, in both maculae, hair-bundle orientation angles fall into two populations that differ by approximately 180 degrees defining a line of orientation reversal, the position of which varies little during subsequent maturation. Many more immature hair bundles appear at E15.5 suggesting a second wave of hair cell differentiation is initiated. Otoconial membrane is produced simultaneously across the entire width of both maculae, indicating directional growth of the overlying extracellular matrix is unlikely to influence hair-bundle orientation. Growth of both maculae occurs asymmetrically, essentially outwards from the striola, but it is most pronounced after orientation is defined. Microtubules are prominent in hair cells at the earliest stages of their differentiation, but are oriented parallel to the long axis of the cell and, thus, may not have a role in directing hair-bundle polarity. Microfilament assemblies that are aligned parallel to the apical surface and connect to the adherens junctions in supporting cells could provide a "framework" for hair-bundle orientation. The striated rootlets of ciliary centrioles that are aligned parallel to the cell surface with their tips associated with microfilament assemblies at adherens junctions were the only structural asymmetry identified that might influence the development of hair-bundle polarity.

A sugar transporter as a candidate for the outer hair cell motor

Forces developed by cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) are responsible for the sharp tuning that underlies sensitivity and frequency selectivity in the ear. OHCs exhibit a voltage-dependent motility involving a 'motor' protein embedded in the basolateral membrane. The motor has so far resisted molecular identification. Here we provide evidence that it may be related to a fructose transporter. We show that OHCs are able to transport this sugar selectively and that the sugar alters electrical properties of the OHC motor. These data can be combined into an integrated model of a sugar carrier, that makes the novel prediction, demonstrated here, that such 'neutral' transporters can be voltage dependent.

Gap junctions and connexin expression in the inner ear

Several different recessive mutations in the connexin26 (Cx26; beta 2) gene have been associated with non-syndromic hereditary deafness. This suggests gap junctions are important to cochlear function. Numerous large gap junctions are present between adjacent supporting cells in both the vestibular and auditory sensory epithelia of the mature inner ear. In vestibular organs, Cx26 is highly expressed, but antibodies of Cx32 (beta 1) also label the supporting cells. In the organ of Corti of the cochlea, Cx26 is the predominant connexin isoform; neither Cx32 nor Cx43 (alpha 1) can be detected by immunohistochemistry. One role for gap junctions between supporting cells may be to provide a pathway for the rapid removal of ions away from the region of the sensory cells during transduction in order to maintain sensitivity. In the cochlea gap junctions are also associated with the basal cells of the stria vascularis, an ion-transporting epithelium that maintains a positive electrical potential in the potassium-rich endolymph fluid which bathes the apical surfaces of the sensory 'hair' cells and which is crucial for auditory transduction. Gap junctions are present between fibrocytes in the spiral ligament that underlies the stria vascularis, and between these fibrocytes and strial basal cells. During cochlear development, the initial formation and subsequent increase in size and number of gap junctions in the stria vascularis coincides with the initial generation and rise of the endocochlear potential. This and other evidence suggests that one role of gap junctions in the cochlea is to provide a pathway for passage of ions to maintain endolymph and, thus, auditory acuity. Mutations to Cx26 could, therefore, disrupt this ion circulation, resulting in deafness.

Hair cell recovery in the vestibular sensory epithelia of mature guinea pigs

The progression of recovery of the vestibular sensory epithelia of guinea pigs after gentamicin-induced hair cell injury was assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. Evaluations were made of the number of cells bearing hair bundles by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and of identifiable hair cells in thin sections. Both assessment procedures showed that an initial loss of hair cells in utricular maculae is followed by significant recovery in the number of hair cells present. SEM also showed recovery in saccules comparable to that in utricles. During the recovery, progressive maturation of hair bundles, which exhibited features similar to those seen during normal ontogenetic development of hair cells, could be identified. The pattern and extent of hair cell loss and subsequent reappearance revealed by SEM corresponded with that derived from analysis of thin sections. This suggests that repair of nonlethally damaged hair cells is unlikely but, rather, that new hair cells are produced. An apparent decrease in supporting cell numbers was observed coincident with the increase in hair cell numbers. This complements previous morphological observations, which have suggested new hair cells arise from direct, nonmitotic transdifferentiation of supporting cells. The quantitative analyses indicate that more than half of the hair cells that are lost are replaced, but the recovery process does not result in complete restoration of the epithelium. Eight months after the end of drug treatment, the number of hair cells present was still significantly less than normal, and several other abnormalities persisted. There was also no evidence of any hair cell recovery in the organ of Corti. Thus, there appear to be limitations on the capacity for spontaneous replacement of lost hair cells in the mammalian inner ear.

Intercellular junctional maturation in the stria vascularis: possible association with onset and rise of endocochlear potential

The postnatal maturation of intercellular junctions of marginal and basal cells of the stria vascularis was examined in the gerbil using thin sections and freeze fracture techniques. Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the presence of Na,K-ATPase postnatally. The onset and growth of endocochlear potential (EP) was also measured. In marginal cells, the apical surface and junctional region around the apical pole of the cell was found to have adult-like characteristics by the time of onset of EP, whilst the increase in staining for Na.K-ATPase temporally coincided with an increasing density of intra-membrane protein particles on the infoldings of marginal cell lateral membranes. Maturation of the junctional specialisations of the basal cells was found to correspond temporally with the period of onset and rise of EP. Tight junctions between basal cells first appeared as small, broken strands composed of widely spaced particles at 6 days after birth (DAB). These junctional strands increased in number and in particle density until adult-like at 16 DAB when they covered large areas of the basal cell lateral membrane. Gap junctions on the apical membrane of basal cells first appeared as small patches of loosely packed junctional elements at 6 DAB. Between 8 and 16 DAB the area of membrane occupied by the gap junctions increased, reaching a mature conformation by 18 DAB. The results suggest that EP maturation is dependent upon the development of sealing between the basal cells by tight junctions and also the establishment and development of gap junctions in the apical plasma membrane of basal cells, associated with intermediate cells.

Myosin VIIA is required for aminoglycoside accumulation in cochlear hair cells

Myosin VIIA is expressed by sensory hair cells and has a primary structure predicting a role in membrane trafficking and turnover, processes that may underlie the susceptibility of hair cells to aminoglycoside antibiotics. [3H]Gentamicin accumulation and the effects of aminoglycosides were therefore examined in cochlear cultures of mice with different missense mutations in the myosin VIIA gene, Myo7a, to see whether myosin VIIA plays a role in aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Hair cells from homozygous mutant Myo7ash1 mice, with a mutation in a nonconserved region of the myosin VIIA head, respond rapidly to aminoglycoside treatment and accumulate high levels of gentamicin. Hair cells from homozygous mutant Myo7a6J mice, with a mutation at a highly conserved residue close to the ATP binding site of the myosin VIIA head, do not accumulate [3H]gentamicin and are protected from aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Hair cells from heterozygotes of both alleles accumulate [3H]gentamicin and respond to aminoglycosides. Although aminoglycoside uptake is thought to be via apical surface-associated endocytosis, coated pit numbers on the apical membrane of heterozygous and homozygous Myo7a6J hair cells are similar. Pulse-chase experiments with cationic ferritin confirm that the apical endocytotic pathway is functional in homozygous Myo7a6J hair cells. Transduction currents can be recorded from both heterozygous and homozygous Myo7a6J hair cells, suggesting it is unlikely that the drug enters via diffusion through the mechanotransducer channel. The results show that myosin VIIA is required for aminoglycoside accumulation in hair cells. Myosin VIIA may transport a putative aminoglycoside receptor to the hair cell surface, indirectly translocate it to sites of membrane retrieval, or retain it in the endocytotic pathway.

Postnatal maturation of the organ of Corti in gerbils: morphology and physiological responses

The organ of Corti, the sensory epithelium of hearing in mammals, matures postnatally in the gerbil. Quantitative analyses of the postnatal development of the organ of Corti, including supporting cells and the basilar membrane, were carried out. The morphological study confirmed that maturation of the sensory cells proceeds with a base-to-apex gradient, with the outer hair cells appearing to mature before the inner hair cells. Maturation of the supporting cells and the basilar membrane commenced first in the middle turn. Expansion of the second row of Deiters' cells began at 6 days after birth in the middle turn, before enlargement of the pillar cell heads at 8 days postnatally. Pillar cell head enlargement continued until 20 days postnatally in the middle turn. The tunnel of Corti and spaces of Nuel appeared first in the middle turn between 8 and 10 days postnatally. The maturation of the basilar membrane involved the thickening of the central hyaline layer and a reduction in the epithelial cells on the tympanic aspect. This process continued until about 20 days after birth. The cochlear microphonic potential, whole nerve action potential, and stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions were recorded from 12 days after birth onward and related to changes in organ of Corti morphology. The results show that changes in the accessory structures continue throughout the period of onset and development of cochlear responses between 12 and 20 days after birth, and may therefore influence the micromechanical responses of the organ of Corti to acoustic stimuli during this period.

Morphological evidence for supporting cell to hair cell conversion in the mammalian utricular macula

The possible origin of the immature hair cells that appear in the utricular maculae of guinea pigs following gentamicin-induced hair cell death was investigated. Guinea pigs were continuously infused with bromodeoxyuridine, to label proliferating cells and their progeny, for 2 weeks after inducing damage to the inner ear on one side with gentamicin. The opposite ear in each animal served as control. Serial sections were cut through the entire utricular maculae of both ears of each animal and the number of labelled cells in the epithelium and underlying connective tissue was counted. Label was present in cells in the sensory epithelium in the utricles from the drug exposed ears but not in the controls. The nuclei of cells in the underlying connective tissue were also labelled in both ears. Some of the labelled nuclei in the epithelium were at the level normally occupied by hair cells, but most were at the level of supporting cell nuclei. However, the total number of labelled nuclei in the sensory epithelium was small; the maximum was 12 in one animal. The number of labelled nuclei in the connective tissue of the treated ears was significantly greater than the number in the untreated ear. This confirms that cell proliferation is stimulated in the mature mammalian utricular macula after hair cell loss, but the extent to which it occurs appears to be insufficient to explain the recovery in hair cell numbers which is observed. Detailed thin section studies of the utricular maculae of gentamicin-treated animals over a prolonged post-treatment period were also performed. In utricles which had suffered damage, there were cells which, like supporting cells but unlike hair cells, were resting on basement membrane, but which possessed at their apical ends organized bundles of microvilli similar to immature hair cell stereocilia. Other cells with more obvious stereocilia remained in contact with the basement membrane via and a small feet process. In still other cells, where a stereociliary bundle was obvious and almost mature in appearance, there was a foot process extending towards the basement membrane but not quite in contact, suggesting it had just detached. All these cells were contacted by nerve endings and specialization of the membranes were apparent at the site of cell-neurone contact. The morphological characteristics of these cells are consistent with phenotypic conversion of supporting cells into hair cells and this may account for some of the hair cell production in the mature mammalian vestibular sensory epithelia after hair cell death.

Structural development of sensory cells in the ear

The hair cells of the auditory and balance systems of the inner ear have precise structures and orientations related to function. Hair cells differentiate from a homogenous cell population with the initiation of afferent synaptogenesis and appearance of the apical hair bundle being the first definitive structural sign of hair cell development. The cytoskeletal network then develops and the intercellular membrane junctions become more complex. As auditory function is established in mammalian cochlear hair cells, the lateral membrane acquires certain specializations. Accompanying this there is a change from afferent to efferent innervation of outer hair cells.

Postnatal development of membrane specialisations of gerbil outer hair cells

Using a combination of freeze-fracture and thin sections, this study examines the maturation of the membrane specialisations of the gerbil outer hair cells (OHC) between 2 and 16 days after birth (DAB). The apical membrane, the junctional region around the neck of the cell, and the lateral and basal membranes are described. The results suggest a sequential development of the different components of the lateral wall. Intramembrane protein particles (IMP), the putative OHC motor elements, were found to be present at low density at 2 DAB and increased in density from 2200 IMP/microns 2 at 2 DAB to 4131/ microns 2 at 8 DAB. OHCs have been reported as showing electromotility from 8 DAB onward. IMPs continue to increase in density until mature values are attained at 16 DAB. Sub-surface cisternae did not appear until 8 DAB, with a single layer being complete by 10 DAB. Pillar structures, proposed to be related to the cytoskeletal lattice, first appear at 10 DAB. The apical membrane of the immature hair cell is characterised by the presence of pits related to the endocytosis of vesicles, and tip-links between stereocilia, thought to be associated with sites of ion channel opening, are present at 2 DAB. The junctional region comprises two areas which mature at differing rates: an apical-most region which attains an adult-like appearance by 8 DAB and a basal-ward region which continues to increase in complexity until mature at 16 DAB. The functional significance of the results are discussed in relation to the possible roles of the junctional regions and the proposed sites of the OHC motor elements.

Two modes of hair cell loss from the vestibular sensory epithelia of the guinea pig inner ear

In the vestibular and auditory neurosensory epithelia of poikilothermic vertebrates and of birds, damaged sensory "hair" cells are often deleted by extrusion from the apical surface. In contrast, in the adult mammalian auditory epithelium (the organ of Corti), the bodies of damaged hair cells degenerate within the epithelium. To determine whether this apparent difference is species related or is associated with the differing structural organisation of the epithelia, hair cell deletion in the mammalian vestibular end-organs was examined. The structural organisation of these tissues is closer to that of the inner ear epithelia of lower vertebrates than to the organ of Corti. Hair cell loss was induced by chronic, systemic treatment of guinea pigs with the ototoxic aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin. The vestibular sensory epithelia were examined at various times after treatment via scanning electron microscopy, thin sectioning, and staining f-actin with fluorescently labelled phalloidin. Two distinct modes of hair cell loss were identified: 1) degeneration of hair cells within the epithelium, which often showed morphological features consistent with those described for apoptosis, and 2) extrusion of intact cells from the apical surface. Neither process caused the formation of obvious lesions through the epithelial surfaces. Expansion of adjacent supporting cells during hair cell deletion resulted in repair that appeared to preserve permeability barriers. There was also no evidence of inflammation accompanying hair cell removal. Thus, with both modes of hair cell loss, it appeared that deletion of hair cells was achieved without disruption of tissue architecture or integrity. This may be important for subsequent repair and regeneration processes to operate.