Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
6284491 Neuroscience Letters 2011 6 Pages PDF
Abstract

It has been demonstrated that kanamycin treatment during early developmental period induces partial cochlear destruction and enhanced glutamatergic transmission at the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) - the lateral superior olive (LSO) synapses in the superior olivary complex (SOC). As c-fos was expected to be expressed in the SOC by kanamycin-induced cochlear damage, the expression of c-fos protein (Fos) was investigated using immunohistochemistry in kanamycin-treated rat pups. In the control rat pups less than postnatal (P) day 9 in age, Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-IR) was transiently observed in the MNTB and LSO on P6, but disappeared on P9, which reflects a physiologic process. In contrast, in kanamycin-treated rats, Fos-IR was consistently observed through P9. Because a significant increase in terminal uridine deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2′-deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) IR was not demonstrated in the MNTB and LSO of kanamycin-treated rats, the increased Fos-IR does not appear to indicate an ongoing pathologic process, but may be related to the increased activity caused by the disturbance in excitatory and inhibitory balance between brainstem auditory circuits.

► Fos is transiently expressed (P6) in the MNTB and LSO of control rats. ► Fos expression is sustained through P9 in the MNTB and LSO of kanamycin-treated rats. ► GFAP or TUNEL staining did not parallel with Fos expression in both control and kanamycin-treated rats.

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