Age-related histopathological changes of the stria vascularis: an experimental model.
The stria vascularis (SV) of 3-, 8- and 18-month-old C57 mice was examined with a fluorescence microscope in order to evaluate the capillary density and vessel diameter. The capillary density was significantly reduced in 18-month-old mice compared to 3-month-old (P<0.001) and to 8-month-old (P<0.001) mice. The difference between 3- and 18-month-old mice was significant for the basal, middle and apical cochlear turns, while the difference between 8- and 18-month-old mice was significant only for the middle and basal turns. Vessel diameter within the whole SV was significantly reduced in all turns in 18-month-old mice (P<0.01) versus 3-month-old animals, while vessel diameter was reduced only in the basal turn in 8-month-old versus 3-month-old mice. The results suggest that previously described histopathological changes in the organ of Corti of C57 mice may be related to modifications of strial capillaries.
Di Girolamo
S
S
Institute of Otolaryngology of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Quaranta
N
N
Picciotti
P
P
Torsello
A
A
Wolf
F
F
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003051:Cochlea / Q000098:blood supply; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D013316:Stria Vascularis / Q000473:pathology*