Voltage-dependent channels in dissociated outer hair cells of the guinea pig

BK channels mediate cholinergic inhibition of high frequency cochlear hair cells

BACKGROUND

Outer hair cells are the specialized sensory cells that empower the mammalian hearing organ, the cochlea, with its remarkable sensitivity and frequency selectivity. Sound-evoked receptor potentials in outer hair cells are shaped by both voltage-gated K(+) channels that control the membrane potential and also ligand-gated K(+) channels involved in the cholinergic efferent modulation of the membrane potential. The objectives of this study were to investigate the tonotopic contribution of BK channels to voltage- and ligand-gated currents in mature outer hair cells from the rat cochlea.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL

Findings In this work we used patch clamp electrophysiology and immunofluorescence in tonotopically defined segments of the rat cochlea to determine the contribution of BK channels to voltage- and ligand-gated currents in outer hair cells. Although voltage and ligand-gated currents have been investigated previously in hair cells from the rat cochlea, little is known about their tonotopic distribution or potential contribution to efferent inhibition. We found that apical (low frequency) outer hair cells had no BK channel immunoreactivity and little or no BK current. In marked contrast, basal (high frequency) outer hair cells had abundant BK channel immunoreactivity and BK currents contributed significantly to both voltage-gated and ACh-evoked K(+) currents.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Our findings suggest that basal (high frequency) outer hair cells may employ an alternative mechanism of efferent inhibition mediated by BK channels instead of SK2 channels. Thus, efferent synapses may use different mechanisms of action both developmentally and tonotopically to support high frequency audition. High frequency audition has required various functional specializations of the mammalian cochlea, and as shown in our work, may include the utilization of BK channels at efferent synapses. This mechanism of efferent inhibition may be related to the unique acetylcholine receptors that have evolved in mammalian hair cells compared to those of other vertebrates.

Developmental expression of Ca(v)1.3 (alpha1d) calcium channels in the mouse inner ear

Voltage-gated calcium channels are important for neurotransmission at the level of inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs). These channels open when mechanical stimulation depolarises the hair cell membrane and the resulting calcium influx triggers neurotransmitter release. Voltage-gated calcium channels expressed in hair cells are known to be of the L-type with a predominance of the Ca(v)1.3 subunit. The present study describes the developmental expression of the Ca(v)1.3 protein in the cochlea and the vestibular system using immunohistochemical technique. In the adult organ of Corti (OC), Ca(v)1.3 was localized in both sensory and non-sensory cells with a more intense expression in IHCs and Deiters cells when compared to OHCs. In both hair cell types, immunoreactivity was observed in the apical pole, basolateral membrane and at the basal pole (synaptic zone). Similar results were obtained in the vestibular organs. During development, Ca(v)1.3 immunoreactivity was observed in the cochlea as early as embryonic day 15, with expression increasing at birth. At these early stages of cochlear development, Ca(v)1.3 was expressed in all cell types surrounding the scala media. In the OC, the labeling was observed in IHCs, OHCs and supporting cells. The Ca(v)1.3 expression reached an adult-like pattern by the end of the second postnatal week. The present findings suggested that, in addition to their implication in hair cells synaptic transmission, Ca(v)1.3 calcium channels also play an important role in vesicle recycling and transport, as suggested by their extrasynaptic location at the apical pole of the hair cells. The Ca(v)1.3 channels in Deiters cells could participate in active calcium-induced changes in micromechanics of these supporting cells. An early expression during development suggested that these calcium channels are in addition important in the development of the cochlear and vestibular sensory epithelium.

Fluorescence-imaged microdeformation of the outer hair cell lateral wall

Outer hair cell (OHC) electromotility appears to be central to mammalian hearing and originates within its lateral wall. The OHC lateral wall is a unique trilaminate structure consisting of the plasma membrane (PM), the cortical lattice (CL), and the subsurface cisternae (SSC). We selectively labeled and imaged the lateral wall components in the isolated guinea pig OHC under confocal microscopy. The PM was labeled with a voltage-sensitive dye, di-8-ANEPPS; the SSC was labeled with the sphingomyelin precursor, NBD-C6-ceramide; and F-actin in the CL was labeled with conjugates of phalloidin. Interactions among the three layers were evaluated with the micropipette aspiration technique. The PM was tethered to the CL and SSC until, at a critical deformation pressure, the PM separated, allowing visualization of the extracisternal space, and ultimately formed a vesicle. After detaching, the stiffness parameter of the PM was 22% of that of the intact lateral wall. We conclude that the lateral wall PM is more compliant than the CL/SSC complex. The data clarify the structural basis for electromotile force coupling in the OHC lateral wall.

Intracranial nerve repair: a review of experimental and clinical studies

With recent developments in neurosurgery and related disciplines, more aggressive approaches are being made for various lesions of the skull base, and, as a consequence, cranial nerves are more frequently damaged, which causes significant morbidity. The authors review experimental and clinical studies involving surgical repair of severed cranial nerves and provide evidence that some degree of functional regeneration occurs. Functional recovery after repair is mainly dependent on the preoperative function of the muscle-nerve unit and the morphological organization of the nerve; the more complex the organization, the lesser the degree of functional recovery. The beneficial effect of surgical repair on postoperative morbidity is outlined together with suggestions for future research.