Fex J, Altschuler R A
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Feb;78(2):1255-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.2.1255.
The distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the cochlea of the guinea pig and cat was studied. Indirect immunofluorescence immunohistochemistry using antisera generated against a methionine enkephalin-bovine thyroglobulin conjugate was applied to surface preparations of the organ of Corti and cryostat sections of the whole of the cochlea. In the cochlear osseous spiral lamina, immunofluorescence was localized to unmyelinated fibers of the intraganglionic spiral bundle. In the organ of Corti, immunofluorescence was localized to a small number of fibers at inner hair cells, the inner spiral bundle, and tunnel spiral bundle, to tunnel crossing fibers at the level of the tunnel floor, to an occasional spiral outer fiber, and to the synaptic region of outer hair cells in the three rows of the basal turn of the cochlea. Less immunofluorescence was found in this region as one progressed towards the apex, with none seen at the apex. At the most apical region the inner spiral bundle became patchy and the tunnel spiral bundle developed arcades. There was no immunofluorescence found in spiral ganglion cells, in auditory nerve fibers, or in the hair cells of the organ of Corti. The findings were the same in cat as in guinea pig, the latter being studied in more detail. It was concluded that efferent, olivocochlear neurons of the cochlea, synapsing predominantly with primary auditory nerve fibers from the inner sensory cells or with the sensory cells, contain enkephalin-like immunoreactivity. Also, the findings indicate that endings of olivocochlear neurons that synapse predominantly with outer hair cells contain enkephalin-like immunoreactivity. It has previously been shown that olivocochlear neurons are likely to be cholinergic.
研究了豚鼠和猫耳蜗中脑啡肽样免疫反应性的分布。使用针对甲硫氨酸脑啡肽 - 牛甲状腺球蛋白偶联物产生的抗血清进行间接免疫荧光免疫组织化学，应用于柯蒂氏器的表面制剂和整个耳蜗的低温切片。在耳蜗骨螺旋板中，免疫荧光定位于神经节内螺旋束的无髓纤维。在柯蒂氏器中，免疫荧光定位于内毛细胞、内螺旋束和隧道螺旋束的少数纤维、隧道底部水平的隧道交叉纤维、偶尔的螺旋外纤维以及耳蜗基底转三排外毛细胞的突触区域。随着向顶端推进，该区域的免疫荧光减少，在顶端未见免疫荧光。在最顶端区域，内螺旋束变得斑驳，隧道螺旋束形成拱廊。在螺旋神经节细胞、听神经纤维或柯蒂氏器的毛细胞中未发现免疫荧光。猫的研究结果与豚鼠相同，对豚鼠的研究更详细。得出的结论是，耳蜗的传出性橄榄耳蜗神经元主要与来自内感觉细胞的初级听神经纤维或感觉细胞形成突触，含有脑啡肽样免疫反应性。此外，研究结果表明，主要与外毛细胞形成突触的橄榄耳蜗神经元末梢含有脑啡肽样免疫反应性。先前已表明橄榄耳蜗神经元可能是胆碱能的。
