Effects of hypergravity on the morphological properties of the vestibular sensory epithelium. II. Life-long exposure of rats including embryogenesis.
Rats were exposed to a hypergravity (HG) level of 2.5 x g from conception until the age of 14 weeks. The vestibular epithelia of four of these animals and four control animals were immunohistochemically labeled for actin and tubulin. The apical cross-sectional area of epithelial cells of HG exposed rats appeared to be larger in all end organs. Area increase was 7.0% in the utricle (p<0.005) and 8.2% in the crista (p<<0.001). Hair cells and supporting cells appeared to be intact. The cellular arrangement and the proportion of different cell types within the epithelia was normal.
Wubbels
R J
RJ
Vestibular Department, ENT, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. r.j.wubbels@amc.uva.nl
van Marle
J
J
Sondag
H N P M
HN
de Jong
H A A
HA
D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D018471:Hypergravity / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology*
D000199:Actins; D014404:Tubulin