APOPTOSIS OF NEURONS IN THE VESTIBULAR NUCLEI OF ADULT MICE RESULTS FROM PROLONGED CHANGE IN THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

Pharmacological manipulations which result in abnormal levels of excit atory amino acid (EAA) mediated neurotransmission can result in neuron al apoptosis. We accordingly hypothesised that manipulations of the ex ternal environment which induce prolonged EAA-mediated transmission in sensory neurons may also induce apoptosis. This hypothesis was tested by placing groups of adult mice, housed in their home cage, on a turn table which slowly rotated (0.8 rev./min). This non-invasive manipulat ion will have resulted in abnormal discharge patterns in the vestibula r nuclei. Significantly greater levels of neuronal apoptosis were seen in the vestibular complex after rotation for 48 h compared with non-r otated controls. This finding was also predicted independently from a computational approach.