[The patterns of cell proliferation in the chick basilar papilla following severe acoustic trauma].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics of cell proliferation in chick basilar papilla (BP) following severe acoustic trauma, and the orgin of precursor cell that can generate into new hair cell.


METHODS
Chicks were continuously exposed to a 1.5 kHz pure tone at 120 dB SPL for 48 h, and they were intraperitoneally injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) at 40 h, 48 h after the onset of exposure. Then, cochlea were immunocytochemically labeled to detect BrdU, and examined the cell proliferative activity in BP.


RESULTS
1. Labeled cells presented in the mid-proximal region of BP where hair cells have been damaged and lost following noise overstimulation; 2. The most cells in S phase were detected at 48 h after the onset of exposure; and 3. Both labeled hair cells and supporting cells can be seen in BP; In addition, the supporting cells may act as precursor cells that can generate into new hair cells.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that auditory epithelial cells can be regenerated in chick cochlea after acoustic trauma, even though ongoing production of hair cells don't occur in BP, and supporting cells may be a source of newly generated hair cells under pathological conditions.
Xiao
Hongjun
H
Department of Otolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
Wang
Jibao
J
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001489:Basilar Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens; D003051:Cochlea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D018069:Hair Cells, Vestibular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation