Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025
12:02
Whole Mount Dissection and Immunofluorescence of the Adult Mouse Cochlea
Published on: January 1, 2016
55.7K
Age-related changes in P2Y receptor signalling in mouse cochlear supporting cells
Sarah A Hool1, Jing-Yi Jeng1, Daniel J Jagger2
1School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
The Journal of Physiology
|September 16, 2023
Summary
Supporting cells in the aged cochlea upregulate specific purinergic receptors (P2Y2 and P2Y4), enhancing calcium responses. This change may protect the sensory epithelium from further damage associated with age-related hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Hearing relies on cochlear hair cells, supported by non-sensory cells crucial for cochlear homeostasis.
- The role of these supporting cells in age-related hearing loss is not well understood.
- Purinergic signaling is vital for cochlear development and changes with age in various tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in metabotropic purinergic receptors (P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4) in cochlear supporting cells.
- To understand the functional implications of these receptor changes on calcium signaling in aging cochleas.
Main Methods:
- Immunolabeling and Ca2+ imaging were used to assess P2Y receptor expression and function.
- Experiments were conducted on supporting cells from the apical coil of mouse cochleas.
- Comparisons were made between early postnatal stages, adult mice, and aged mice with different hearing loss profiles.
Main Results:
- P2Y receptor expression and purinergic-mediated calcium responses decreased after early postnatal stages.
- Aged cochleas showed upregulated P2Y receptor expression (P2Y2 and P2Y4) compared to young adults.
- Aged mice exhibited larger, oscillatory calcium responses to purinergic agonists, mimicking developmental stages.
Conclusions:
- Supporting cells in the aged cochlea upregulate P2Y2 and P2Y4 receptors, leading to heightened calcium signaling.
- This upregulation mirrors developmental purinergic responses and may serve as a protective mechanism against further sensory epithelium damage.
- The extent of purinergic upregulation correlates with the progression of hearing loss in different mouse strains.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Hair Cells
40.7K
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.
40.7K
01:13The Cochlea
45.2K
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.
45.2K