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Cholinergic innervation of the rat's labyrinth

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Summary

Efferent vestibular and cochlear neurons were identified in the rat's brain stem by retrograde labelling with True Blue (TB) or wheat germ agglutinin — horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) injected into the utricle. Such cells were found at the same locations described in 1983 by White and Warr (ipsilateral superior olivary nucleus (LSO), bilateral latero-ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body (LTz) bilateral group E medial and lateral to the genu facialis) and, in addition, bilaterally in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (CPR) at the level of the descending facial nerve. Cholinergic neurons were identified by counterstaining sections containing TB filled perikarya for (1) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) following pretreatment with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) or (2) choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), by immunohistochemistry with highly specific monoclonal antibodies. Many, but not all, vestibular efferent cell bodies located in group E were shown to be cholinergic. These and other recently published data suggest that the efferent octavus system may consist of a number of chemically distinct cell groups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, A.C.U.R.F-153, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, V6T 2B5, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

    D. W. F. Schwarz, K. Satoh, I. E. Schwarz, K. Hu & H. C. Fibiger

  2. Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, V6T 2B5, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

    K. Satoh, I. E. Schwarz, K. Hu & H. C. Fibiger

Authors
  1. D. W. F. Schwarz
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  2. K. Satoh
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  3. I. E. Schwarz
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  4. K. Hu
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  5. H. C. Fibiger
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Supported by the Pacific Otolaryngology Foundation and the Medical Research Council, Canada

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Schwarz, D.W.F., Satoh, K., Schwarz, I.E. et al. Cholinergic innervation of the rat's labyrinth. Exp Brain Res 64, 19–26 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238197

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238197

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