Investigation of intact mouse cochleae using two-photon laser scanning microscopy

The Time Course of Monocytes Infiltration After Acoustic Overstimulation

Cochlea macrophages regulate cochlea inflammation and may harbors the potentials to protect hearing function from injury, including acoustic overstimulation. Cochlea macrophage numbers increase at 3–7 days after acoustic stimulation. However, the exact timing of macrophage infiltration and maturation from inflammatory monocytes is unclear. Furthermore, neutrophils may also be involved in this process. Therefore, in this study, we investigated time-dependent immune cell infiltration, macrophage transformation, and neutrophil involvement following acoustic stimulation. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were conducted in C-X3-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1)+/GFP mice after acoustic overstimulation (at baseline and at 1, 2, 3, and 5 days after exposure to 120 dB for 1 h) to identify inflammatory monocytes in the cochlea. RNA-sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to identify differentially expressed genes. Inflammatory monocytes infiltrated into the lower portion of the lateral wall within 2 days after acoustic overstimulation (dpn), followed by transformation into macrophages at 3–5 dpn via CX3CR1 upregulation and Ly6C downregulation. In addition, inflammatory monocytes were aggregated inside the collecting venule only at 1 dpn. Neutrophils were not a major type of phagocyte during this response. The gene encoding C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 gene was significantly upregulated as early as 3 h after acoustic overstimulation. Given these results, treatment to control immune response after a noise-induced hearing loss should be applied as soon as possible.

Two Photon Fluorescence Microscopy of the Unstained Human Cochlea Reveals Organ of Corti Cytoarchitecture

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common sensory deficit worldwide, and it typically originates from the cochlea. Methods to visualize intracochlear cells in living people are currently lacking, limiting not only diagnostics but also therapies for SNHL. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (TPFM) is a high-resolution optical imaging technique. Here we demonstrate that TPFM enables visualization of sensory cells and auditory nerve fibers in an unstained, non-decalcified adult human cochlea.

Neutrophils infiltrate into the spiral ligament but not the stria vascularis in the cochlea during lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation

It has been challenging to apply intravital imaging for monitoring the inner ear, as the anatomical location and intricate structure hamper the access of imaging instruments to the inner ear of live mice. By employing intravital imaging of the cochlea in live mice with two-photon microscopy, we investigated neutrophil infiltration into the cochlea tissue and its characteristics under a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory state. Methods: Cochlea inflammation was induced by LPS injection to the middle ear. Using two-photon intravital microscopy with specifically designed surgical exteriorization of the cochlea in live mice, we investigated the dynamic features of neutrophils in the lateral wall of the cochlea. The molecular expression pattern of the cochlea lateral wall was also investigated during the LPS-induce inflammation. Results: Despite the contention of whether neutrophils are recruited to the spiral ligament (SL) during inflammation, we observed that LPS-induced inflammation of the middle ear, which mimics acute otitis media, triggered neutrophil migration to the SL in the lateral wall. Notably, massive neutrophil infiltration to the SL occurred 2 days after LPS inoculation, but there was no neutrophil infiltration into the stria vascularis (SV) region. At 1 day after LPS-induced cochlear inflammation, increased mRNA expression of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 were identified in both the SL and SV, while the ICAM-1 mRNA expression increased only in the SL. The differential reactivity of ICAM-1 is likely responsible for the different neutrophil recruitment pattern in the cochlea. Conclusion: Intravital imaging of the cochlea revealed that neutrophil recruitment and infiltration during inflammation are spatially controlled and exclusively observed in the SL but not in the SV and organ of Corti.