TY - JOUR
T1 - Visualization and contractile activity of cochlear pericytes in the capillaries of the spiral ligament
AU - Dai, Min
AU - Nuttall, Alfred
AU - Yang, Yue
AU - Shi, Xiaorui
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by National Institute of Deafness and Other Communications Disorders Grants NIDCD DC 00888, NIDCD DC 00105, and NIDCD DC 005983 (p30).
PY - 2009/8/11
Y1 - 2009/8/11
N2 - Pericytes, mural cells located on microvessels, are considered to play an important role in the formation of the vasculature and the regulation of local blood flow in some organs. Little is known about the physiology of cochlear pericytes. In order to investigate the function of cochlear pericytes, we developed a method to visualize cochlear pericytes using diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA) and intravital fluorescence microscopy. This method can permit the study of the effect of vasoactive agents on pericytes under the in vivo and normal physiological condition. The specificity of the labeling method was verified by the immunofluorescence labeling of pericyte maker proteins such as desmin, neural proteoglycan (NG2), and thymocyte differentiation antigen 1 (Thy-1). Superfused K+ and Ca2+ to the cochlear lateral wall resulted in localized constriction of capillaries at pericyte locations both in vivo and in vitro, while there was no obvious change in cochlear capillary diameters with application of the adrenergic neurotransmitter noradrenaline. The method could be an effective way to visualize cochlear pericytes and microvessels and study lateral wall vascular physiology. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time that cochlear pericytes have contractility, which may be important for regulation of cochlear blood flow.
AB - Pericytes, mural cells located on microvessels, are considered to play an important role in the formation of the vasculature and the regulation of local blood flow in some organs. Little is known about the physiology of cochlear pericytes. In order to investigate the function of cochlear pericytes, we developed a method to visualize cochlear pericytes using diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA) and intravital fluorescence microscopy. This method can permit the study of the effect of vasoactive agents on pericytes under the in vivo and normal physiological condition. The specificity of the labeling method was verified by the immunofluorescence labeling of pericyte maker proteins such as desmin, neural proteoglycan (NG2), and thymocyte differentiation antigen 1 (Thy-1). Superfused K+ and Ca2+ to the cochlear lateral wall resulted in localized constriction of capillaries at pericyte locations both in vivo and in vitro, while there was no obvious change in cochlear capillary diameters with application of the adrenergic neurotransmitter noradrenaline. The method could be an effective way to visualize cochlear pericytes and microvessels and study lateral wall vascular physiology. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time that cochlear pericytes have contractility, which may be important for regulation of cochlear blood flow.
KW - Capillary of spiral ligament
KW - Cochlear pericyte
KW - Diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA)
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U2 - 10.1016/j.heares.2009.04.018
DO - 10.1016/j.heares.2009.04.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 19422897
AN - SCOPUS:67649502880
SN - 0378-5955
VL - 254
SP - 100
EP - 107
JO - Hearing Research
JF - Hearing Research
IS - 1-2
ER -