IN-VITRO INDUCTION OF MICROCYST-LIKE STRUCTURES IN THE SUPERIOR OLIVARY COMPLEX

To investigate the etiology of hole formation in the gerbil and rat ce ntral auditory system, organotypic cultures were grown in control and veratridine-containing media. The latter condition is known to increas e neuronal activity. Tissue was obtained at postnatal day 6 and grown for 6-9 days in vitro, a period prior to the formation of holes in viv o. In both rats and gerbils, veratridine led to the appearance of larg e numbers of holes, and these were phenotypically similar to those fou nd in vivo. These results support the idea that hole formation is an a ctivity-dependent phenomenon, and suggest that it is not restricted to the mature gerbil auditory system.