Ss. Spicer et al., Ablation of inner hair cells by carboplatin alters cells in the medial K+ flow route and disrupts tectorial membrane, HEARING RES, 136(1-2), 1999, pp. 139-150
The thesis that K+ effluxing from inner hair cells (IHCs) cycles medially b
ack to endolymph through inner sulcus and interdental cells (IDCs) was test
ed by comparing control chinchilla cochleas with those in which IHCs were s
electively destroyed by carboplatin. By light microscopy inner sulcus cells
appeared tall and nearly empty in control ears, but 4 months after the car
boplatin treatment many showed vacuolization and shrinkage. Inner pillar ce
lls also consistently developed abnormal vacuoles after carboplatin treatme
nt. Control cochleas exhibited lateral columns and central clusters of IDCs
which at their apex possessed expanded presumably hydrated phalanges. Four
months after carboplatin, the IDC epithelium enclosed empty looking spaces
and the apical phalangeal compartment collapsed into a thin, apparently de
hydrated layer. This alteration was accompanied by changes in the tectorial
membrane (TM) whereby the membrane's limbal zone thickened progressively t
o form a tall hollow mound in advanced lesions. The clear spaces in the epi
thelium and collapse of the phalanges are thought to reflect diminished flo
w of ions and fluid through IDCs. The accumulation of limbal TM supports th
e premise that IDCs secrete macromolecules for TM turnover as well as ions
and fluid for promoting lateral migration of its precursor constituents. Oc
curring after ablation of IHCs by carboplatin, the changes in inner pillar,
inner sulcus and IDCs and limbal TM can be viewed as a secondary effect of
the interrupted ion efflux from IHCs and as further evidence that this eff
luent follows a medial route. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res
erved.