title: Cochlear gene transfer: round window versus cochleostomy inoculation.
abstract: Two possible approaches for cochlear gene transfer have been inoculation via the round window membrane and through a cochleostomy. The aim of this study was to determine which of the two is more effective. Using both approaches, normal-hearing and deafened guinea pigs were inoculated with adenovirus carrying the reporter gene lacZ. After 5 days, the animals were killed and the cochlear tissue was stained with X-gal. The distribution and intensity of staining was estimated by a score system developed to compare gene transfer results between animals. We found that gene transfer via the cochleostomy resulted in a better distribution throughout the cochlea and in higher staining intensity, due to more efficient transfection. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) results showed that neither virus inoculation through a cochleostomy nor through the round window membrane had a significant effect on the click-ABR threshold measured on day 5 following virus injection. Gene transfer via both approaches was also found to be more effective in deafened animals than in hearing animals.
authors.affiliation: Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Michigan Medical School, MSRB 3, Rm. 9303, 1150 W. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0648, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stöver
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Raphael
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007267:Injections; D012016:Reference Values; D012405:Round Window, Ear / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014162:Transfection