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The Role of Skeletal Muscle in External Ear Development: A Mouse Model Histomorphometric Study
Paul Hong1, Irena Rot1, Boris Kablar1
1IWK Health Centre, Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Background:
Mechanical stimuli imparted by skeletal muscles play an important role during embryonic development in vertebrates. Little is known whether skeletal muscles are required for normal external ear development.
Methods:
We used Myf5-/-:MyoD-/- (double-mutant) mouse embryos that completely lack skeletal musculature and analyzed the development of the external ear. We concentrated on the external ear because several studies have suggested a muscular cause to various congenital auricular deformities, and middle and inner ear development was previously reported using the same mouse model. Wild-type mouse embryos were used as controls to compare the histomorphometric outcomes.
Results:
Our findings demonstrated an absence of the external auditory meatus, along with an abnormal auricular appearance, in the double-mutant mouse embryos. Specifically, the auricle did not protrude laterally as noted in the wild-type mouse ears. However, histomorphometric measurements were not significantly different between the wild-type and double-mutant mouse ears.
Conclusion:
Overall, our study showed that the development of the mouse external ear is dependent on the presence of skeletal muscles.
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