CGRP- and cholinergic-containing fibers project to guinea pig outer hair cells.
MU33, an antibody to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), was used to investigate the magnitude of CGRP-containing nerve fiber endings, compared to acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-containing nerve fiber endings on outer hair cells (OHCs). Results showed that CGRP-containing nerve fiber immunoreactivity mimicked the AChE fiber OHC staining pattern across the cochlea suggesting that CGRP can function as both a medial efferent (contacting primarily OHCs) and as a lateral efferent (contacting primarily inner hair cell afferents) neurotransmitter.
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D003051:Cochlea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018072:Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide