Hoffman D W, Zamir N, Rubio J A, Altschuler R A, Fex J
Hear Res. 1985 Jan;17(1):47-50. doi: 10.1016/0378-5955(85)90129-7.
Dynorphin B (rimorphin), a proenkephalin B (prodynorphin)-derived peptide, and met-enkephalin-Arg6, Gly7, Leu8 (met-enkephalin octapeptide), a proenkephalin A-derived peptide, were identified in the mammalian cochlea by specific radioimmunoassays. The antisera are directed against unique sequences in the peptides, and this immunoreactivity cannot be ascribed to cross-reaction with any other known opioid peptides. Met-enkephalin octapeptide and dynorphin B can for this reason serve as reliable markers for the proenkephalin A- and proenkephalin B-derived peptides, respectively. Lesion studies in the cochlea indicate that dynorphin B is confined to olivocochlear efferents. It has not been determined if the dynorphin-containing neurons are the same as those known to contain enkephalin-related peptides, or if they may be cholinergic. Different, presumably inhibitory, neurotransmitters or modulators in the olivocochlear fibers create the possibility of separately modulating the effects of inner or outer hair cells on auditory nerve activity, and so becoming able to study their individual actions in audition. The olivocochlear fiber-hair cell-eighth nerve interaction may provide a valuable model for a complex multi-transmitter synaptic junction.
强啡肽B（边缘强啡肽）是一种源自脑啡肽原B（前强啡肽）的肽，而甲硫脑啡肽-Arg6、Gly7、Leu8（甲硫脑啡肽八肽）是一种源自脑啡肽原A的肽，通过特异性放射免疫测定法在哺乳动物耳蜗中被鉴定出来。这些抗血清针对肽中的独特序列，这种免疫反应性不能归因于与任何其他已知阿片肽的交叉反应。因此，甲硫脑啡肽八肽和强啡肽B可分别作为源自脑啡肽原A和脑啡肽原B的肽的可靠标志物。耳蜗的损伤研究表明，强啡肽B局限于橄榄耳蜗传出纤维。含强啡肽的神经元是否与已知含脑啡肽相关肽的神经元相同，或者它们是否可能是胆碱能的，目前尚未确定。橄榄耳蜗纤维中不同的、可能具有抑制作用的神经递质或调节剂，使得分别调节内毛细胞或外毛细胞对听神经活动的影响成为可能，从而能够研究它们在听觉中的个体作用。橄榄耳蜗纤维-毛细胞-第八神经相互作用可能为复杂的多递质突触连接提供一个有价值的模型。
