[Expression of heat shock protein 70 in immune response of the guinea pig inner ear].
OBJECTIVE
To explore whether the immune response of the inner ear could induce heat shock protein (hsp) 70 in guinea pig cochlea.


METHODS
A model of autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) was established by systemically immunizing the guinea pig with the homologous crude inner ear antigen (CIEAg). The immunized cochleae and normal control cochleae were examined for the expression of hsp70 with techniques of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.


RESULTS
In the control animals, the expression of the hsp70-like protein appeared only in the spiral ganglion, whereas in the cochleae with CIEAg immunization, strong expression of the hsp70-like protein and its mRNA appeared in the spiral ganglion as well as in the stria vascularis and the spiral ligament. The hearing thresholds were significantly increased in 10 out of 28 cochleae (35.7%) with CIEAg immunization.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the immune response of the inner ear can induce the expression of hsp70 in the guinea pig cochlea.
Yan
Z
Z
Department of Otolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical University, Wuhan 430022, China. yanzhen2000@sina.com
Gong
S
S
Huang
X
X
Huang
X
X
wang
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003051:Cochlea / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins