TECTORIAL MEMBRANE REGENERATION IN ACOUSTICALLY DAMAGED BIRDS - AN IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL TECHNIQUE

A novel immunocytochemical method was used to determine whether the so und-damaged adult quail ear can repair its tectorial membrane (TM) and to compare the repair in quail to that in chicks. Birds were exposed to an octave band noise with a center frequency of 1.5 kHz at 116 dB S PL for 4 h. The chicks were grouped based on recovery duration (0 and 7 days), while the quail were divided into 0-, 7- and 14-day recovered groups. At the end of the recovery period, the animals were sacrifice d, and their basilar papillae labeled with a TM-specific monoclonal pr imary antibody solution followed by a diaminobenzidine process. Examin ations under a stereoscope revealed that a patch lesion devoid of TM w as located on all 0-day recovered papillae. Seven days later, a honeyc omb-patterned layer was observed covering the lesion. In 14-day recove red quail ears, the honeycomb layer appeared similar to that seen at 7 days post-exposure. These observations indicated that both chicks and quail were able to repair their TM within 7 days following exposure t o intense sound.