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Age-Related Changes In Acetylcholinesterase Activity In The Efferent System Of The Cochlea Of C57bl/6 Mice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

Glenn M. Cohen
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Troy State University, Troy, AL36082
Bela A. Shah
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL32901
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Extract

C57BL/6 mice, along with other mouse genotypes, have served as models of human presbycusis. C57BL/6 mice suffer from progressively severe hearing impairments, attributable primarily to losses of both hair cells (sensory receptors) and spiral ganglion cells (afferent neurons). Their age-related hair cell degeneration in the cochlea begins in the basal turn and progresses to the apex.

Auditory nerves also undergo age-related changes. The mammalian cochlear nerve is mixed, being composed largely of afferent (sensory) fibers and a small population of efferent fibers. Because efferent nerves are primarily cholinergic, we used acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as a marker enzyme for determining both age-related changes in AChE activity of the efferent fibers and also for tracing degenerative patterns in efferent pathways within the organ of Corti.

Twelve C57BL/6 mice of the following ages were used: four young (23 days), four middle-aged (13 months), and four old (22.5 months) mice.

Type
Cytochemistry
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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