title: The cochlea of the spontaneously diabetic mouse. I. Electron microscopic observation of KK mice.
abstract: We examined the cochleae of the spontaneously diabetic KK mice by using transmission electron microscopy. At the age of 3 months, the mice started to show evidence for glycosuria and hyperglycemia, and tissue sections showed beginning cochlear pathology. The pathological changes present were found to be limited to the stria vascularis: protrusions of marginal cells, swellings of intermediate cells and widening of intercellular spaces were the main findings seen. These changes progressed with age, but were not observed in age-matched non-diabetic 57BL/6 mice. The possible mechanism of diabetes causing cochlear pathology is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003051:Cochlea / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013316:Stria Vascularis / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure