Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Intrathecal Application of a Fluorescent Dye for the Identification of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks in Cochlear Malformation
06:59

Intrathecal Application of a Fluorescent Dye for the Identification of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks in Cochlear Malformation

Published on: February 29, 2020

[Cochlear involvement in acute otitis media]

E Bodet1, V Martínez, C Romeu

  • 1Unidad de Otorrinolaringología Hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Avinguda Fiter i Rossell, 1-13 Escaldes-Engordany. ebodet@hotmail.com

Acta Otorrinolaringologica Espanola
|December 16, 2005
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Repeated middle ear infections in mice cause significant loss of sensory hair cells in the cochlea, particularly affecting the middle turn after a second infection. This hair cell loss contributes to hearing impairment.

Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology

Context:

  • Infectious processes in the middle ear, such as acute otitis media, can lead to hearing loss.
  • The organ of Corti contains sensory ciliated cells crucial for hearing.
  • Understanding the cellular basis of hearing loss is vital for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose:

  • To investigate the impact of single and repeated acute otitis media on ciliated cell loss in the organ of Corti in mice.
  • To determine the specific regions of the cochlea most affected by otitis media-induced hair cell damage.

Summary:

  • Thirty Sprague-Dawley mice were subjected to one or two induced acute otitis media episodes.
  • Statistical analysis revealed significant ciliated cell loss in the basal turn of the cochlea in both single and repeated infection groups.
  • Repeated infections led to noticeable injury in the middle turn, unlike single infections.

Impact:

  • Acute otitis media causes ciliated cell loss primarily in the basal turn of the cochlea.
  • Repeated middle ear infections exacerbate hair cell damage, extending to the middle turn.
  • Findings provide insights into the pathogenesis of hearing loss following middle ear infections.

More Related Videos

The Mouse Round-window Approach for Ototoxic Agent Delivery: A Rapid and Reliable Technique for Inducing Cochlear Cell Degeneration12:21

The Mouse Round-window Approach for Ototoxic Agent Delivery: A Rapid and Reliable Technique for Inducing Cochlear Cell Degeneration

Published on: November 26, 2015

Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
The Auditory Ossicles01:11

The Auditory Ossicles

The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.