TY - JOUR
T1 - Dysgenesis of melanocytes and cochlear dysfunction in mutant microphthalmia (mi) mice
AU - Motohashi, Hozumi
AU - Hozawa, Koji
AU - Oshima, Takeshi
AU - Takeuchi, Takuji
AU - Takasaka, Tomonori
PY - 1994/10
Y1 - 1994/10
N2 - In order to evaluate the cytological homology of intermediate cells and melanocytes, and to investigate the function of melanocytes in the inner ear, hearing acuity and cochlear pathology were studied in three strains of mice, namely, wild type mice ( + +), albino mice without melanin ( c2J c2J), and microphthalmia mice with no melanocytes ( mibw mibw). Our histochemical data indicated that intermediate cells showed cytological characteristics almost identical to those of melanocytes and that disorders of melanin and/or melanocytes were reflected in the stria vascularis of each mouse. While c2J c2J presented the same normal hearing acuity and normal structure of the stria vascularis as + +, the hearing acuity of mibw mibw mutants was severely impaired. Their stria vascularis was abnormally thin, lacking intermediate cells. According to these results, lack of melanin has little influence on hearing acuity; however, the absence of intermediate cells or melanocytes causes severe hearing loss, presumably due to a striai dysfunction.
AB - In order to evaluate the cytological homology of intermediate cells and melanocytes, and to investigate the function of melanocytes in the inner ear, hearing acuity and cochlear pathology were studied in three strains of mice, namely, wild type mice ( + +), albino mice without melanin ( c2J c2J), and microphthalmia mice with no melanocytes ( mibw mibw). Our histochemical data indicated that intermediate cells showed cytological characteristics almost identical to those of melanocytes and that disorders of melanin and/or melanocytes were reflected in the stria vascularis of each mouse. While c2J c2J presented the same normal hearing acuity and normal structure of the stria vascularis as + +, the hearing acuity of mibw mibw mutants was severely impaired. Their stria vascularis was abnormally thin, lacking intermediate cells. According to these results, lack of melanin has little influence on hearing acuity; however, the absence of intermediate cells or melanocytes causes severe hearing loss, presumably due to a striai dysfunction.
KW - Cochlear dysfunction
KW - Intermediate cells
KW - Melanocytes
KW - Microphthalmia mutant
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U2 - 10.1016/0378-5955(94)90003-5
DO - 10.1016/0378-5955(94)90003-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 7852195
AN - SCOPUS:0027960698
VL - 80
SP - 10
EP - 20
JO - Hearing Research
JF - Hearing Research
SN - 0378-5955
IS - 1
ER -