Ultrastructural analysis of [3H]thymidine-labeled cells in the rat utricular macula

Ototoxic drugs stimulate cell proliferation in adult rat vestibular sensory epithelia, as does the infusion of transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha) plus insulin. We sought to determine whether new hair cells can be regenerated by means of a mitotic pathway. Previously, studies have shown that the nuclei of some newly generated cells are located in the lumenal half of the sensory epithelium, suggesting that some may be newly generated sensory hair cells. The aim of this study was to examine the ultrastructural characteristics of newly proliferated cells after TGFalpha stimulation and/or aminoglycoside damage in the utricular sensory epithelium of the adult rat. The cell proliferation marker tritiated-thymidine was infused, with or without TGFalpha plus insulin, into the inner ears of normal or aminoglycoside-damaged rats for 3 or 7 days by means of osmotic pumps. Autoradiographic techniques and light microscopy were used to identify cells synthesizing DNA. Sections with labeled cells were re-embedded, processed for transmission electron microscopy, and the ultrastructural characteristics of the labeled cells were examined. The following five classes of tritiated-thymidine labeled cells were identified in the sensory epithelium: (1) labeled cells with synaptic specializations that appeared to be newly generated hair cells, (2) labeled supporting cells, (3) labeled leukocytes, (4) labeled cells that we have classified as "active cells" in that they are relatively nondescript but contain massive numbers of polyribosomes, and (5) labeled degenerating hair cells. These findings suggest that new hair cells can be generated in situ by means of a mitotic mechanism in the vestibular sensory epithelium of adult mammals.