Bloom D, Hultcrantz M
Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minnesota.
Acta Otolaryngol. 1994 Jul;114(4):387-92. doi: 10.3109/00016489409126075.
The DBA/2 strain of mice have genetically induced vestibular dysfunction that presents grossly at an early age as circling behavior and abnormal righting reflexes. The vestibular morphology of this strain has not previously been examined. DBA/2 mice of different ages that showed circling behavior were sacrificed and then had their inner ears immediately removed and fixed in glutaraldehyde. The specimens were prepared for light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Additional specimens at 10 months of age were fixed with paraformaldehyde for immunohistochemical investigation and labelling of alpha-actinin. Non-circling litter mates served as controls. The morphology and immunohistochemistry of the vestibular end-organs were evaluated as a function of age and circling behavior. The sensory epithelium of the ampulla and utricle in the circling mice showed softening of the cuticle, hair cell cytoplasmic herniation, expelled cellular debris, fused stereocilia and giant hair cells that progressively increased in severity with age. The non-circling litter mates showed similar but less severe pathology of the vestibular sensory epithelium. The immunohistochemical analysis showed no differences at a magnification of 400 x.
DBA/2品系小鼠具有遗传性诱导的前庭功能障碍，在幼年时就表现为明显的转圈行为和异常的翻正反射。此前尚未对该品系的前庭形态进行过检查。对表现出转圈行为的不同年龄的DBA/2小鼠实施安乐死，然后立即摘除其内耳并固定于戊二醛中。制备用于光镜、透射电镜和扫描电镜检查的标本。另外，选取10月龄的标本用多聚甲醛固定，用于免疫组织化学研究及α - 辅肌动蛋白标记。不转圈的同窝小鼠作为对照。根据年龄和转圈行为对前庭终器的形态和免疫组织化学进行评估。转圈小鼠壶腹和椭圆囊的感觉上皮表现为角质层软化、毛细胞胞质疝出、细胞碎片排出、静纤毛融合以及巨型毛细胞，且随着年龄增长，这些病变逐渐加重。不转圈的同窝小鼠前庭感觉上皮也有类似但程度较轻的病变。免疫组织化学分析在400倍放大倍数下未显示出差异。
