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Basilar Membrane (basilar + membrane)
Selected AbstractsChondrocyte-specific Smad4 gene conditional knockout results in hearing loss and inner ear malformation in miceDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 8 2009Shi-Ming Yang Abstract Smad4 is the central intracellular mediator of transforming growth factor-, (TGF-,) signaling, which plays crucial roles in tissue regeneration, cell differentiation, embryonic development, and regulation of the immune system. Conventional Smad4 gene knockout results in embryonic lethality, precluding its use in studies of the role of Smad4 in inner ear development. We used chondrocyte-specific Smad4 knockout mice (Smad4Co/Co) to investigate the function of Smad4 in inner ear development. Smad4Co/Co mice were characterized by a smaller cochlear volume, bone malformation, and abnormalities of the osseous spiral lamina and basilar membrane. The development of the hair cells was also abnormal, as evidenced by the disorganized stereocilia and reduced density of the neuronal processes beneath the hair cells. Auditory function tests revealed the homozygous Smad4Co/Co mice suffered from severe sensorineural hearing loss. Our results suggest that Smad4 is required for inner ear development and normal auditory function in mammals. Developmental Dynamics, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The ultrastructural distribution of prestin in outer hair cells: a post-embedding immunogold investigation of low-frequency and high-frequency regions of the rat cochleaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 9 2010Shanthini Mahendrasingam Abstract Outer hair cells (OHCs) of the mammalian cochlea besides being sensory receptors also generate force to amplify sound-induced displacements of the basilar membrane thus enhancing auditory sensitivity and frequency selectivity. This force generation is attributable to the voltage-dependent contractility of the OHCs underpinned by the motile protein, prestin. Prestin is located in the basolateral wall of OHCs and is thought to alter its conformation in response to changes in membrane potential. The precise ultrastructural distribution of prestin was determined using post-embedding immunogold labelling and the density of the labelling was compared in low-frequency and high-frequency regions of the cochlea. The labelling was confined to the basolateral plasma membrane in hearing rats but declined towards the base of the cells below the nucleus. In pre-hearing animals, prestin labelling was lower in the membrane and also occurred in the cytoplasm, presumably reflecting its production during development. The densities of labelling in low-frequency and high-frequency regions of the cochlea were similar. Non-linear capacitance, thought to reflect charge movements during conformational changes in prestin, was measured in OHCs in isolated cochlear coils of hearing animals. The OHC non-linear capacitance in the same regions assayed in the immunolabelling was also similar in both the apex and base, with charge densities of 10 000/,m2 expressed relative to the lateral membrane area. The results suggest that prestin density, and by implication force production, is similar in low-frequency and high-frequency OHCs. [source] Laser irradiation of the guinea pig basilar membraneLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 3 2004Gentiana I. Wenzel MD Abstract Background and Objectives The cochlea is the part of the inner ear that transduces sound waves into neural signals. The basilar membrane, a connective tissue sheet within the cochlea, is tonotopically tuned based on the spatial variation of its mass, stiffness, and damping. These biophysical properties are mainly defined by its constituent collagen fibers. We sought to assess the effect of laser irradiation on collagen within the basilar membrane using histological analysis. Study Design/Materials and Methods Four excised guinea pig cochleae were stained with trypan blue. From these, two were irradiated with a 600 nm pulsed dye laser and two were used as controls. Collagen organization was visualized using polarization microscopy. Results Laser irradiation reduced the birefringence within the basilar membrane as well as within other stained collagen-containing structures. Larger reductions in birefringence were measured when more laser pulses were given. The effects were similar across all turns of each cochlea. Conclusions Laser irradiation causes immediate alterations in collagen organization within the cochlea that can be visualized with polarization microscopy. These alterations may affect cochlear tuning. Ongoing research is aimed at analyzing the effect of laser irradiation on cochlear function. It is conceivable that this technique may have therapeutic benefits for patients with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Lasers Surg. Med. 35:174,180, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Anatomy of the Middle-Turn Cochleostomy,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 12 2008Brandon Isaacson MD Abstract Objective: Middle-turn cochleostomies are occasionally used for cochlear implant electrode placement in patients with labyrinthitis ossificans. This study evaluates the anatomic characteristics of the middle-turn cochleostomy and its suitability for placement of implant electrodes. Methods: Ten cadaveric human temporal bones were dissected using a facial recess approach. A middle-turn cochleostomy was drilled 2 mm anterior to the oval window and just inferior to the cochleariform process. The preparations were then stained with osmium tetroxide and microdissections were performed. The location of the cochleostomy on the cochlear spiral and its path through the various cochlear compartments were evaluated in all 10 specimens. A Cochlear Corporation depth gauge was inserted in five of the specimens and insertion trauma, number of contact rings, and depth of insertion were recorded. Results: Eight of the 10 cochleostomies were placed at approximately 360° on the cochlear spiral, near the transition between the basal and middle turns. In one case, the cochleostomy was found to enter the cochlear apex and in another it entered scala vestibuli of the proximal basal turn. The cochleostomy entered scala media in six bones and scala vestibuli in four specimens. A depth gauge was inserted in five specimens. The number of contacts placed within the cochlear lumen ranged from four to nine. There was evidence of insertional trauma to the lateral wall of the cochlear duct, basilar membrane, and Reissner's membrane, but no evidence of fractures to the osseous spiral lamina or modiolus. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that electrodes inserted via a middle-turn cochleostomy are likely to enter scala vestibuli and have access to the middle- and apical-cochlear turns. It is also possible that the electrode could be directed into the descending portion of the basal turn depending on cochleostomy orientation. Middle-turn cochleostomy seems to be a viable alternative for electrode placement when preservation of residual hearing is not a concern. [source] | |||||||||||||