Migration and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells transplanted into mature cochlea of rats with aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss.
CONCLUSIONS
Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) transplanted into the scala tympani are able to migrate in the cochlea of rats deafened with aminoglycoside and partly restore the structure of sensory epithelia of the inner ear.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the migration and differentiation of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-expressing ESCs by transplanting them into the scala tympani of rats with amikacin sulfate-induced hearing loss.


METHODS
Adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were deafened with amikacin sulfate. Mouse ESCs expressing EGFP (EGFP-ESCs) were transplanted into the scala tympani. The migration and differentiation were observed at different time points.


RESULTS
EGFP-ESCs transplanted into normal cochlea did not migrate, but those in the amikacin-damaged cochlea could survive and migrate into the scala media and the vestibular cisterna. For the first time, we observed that the EGFP-ESCs migrated into the scala media, took the place of the organ of Corti, and formed a structure just like the cochlear tunnel. Some grafted stem cells even expressed myosin VIIa, the molecular marker of hair cells. Some nerve fibers reached to the bottom of the hair cell-like cells. The ESCs migrated into the vestibule and restored the sensory epithelia of the ampullary crest. The number of the transplanted ESCs reduced over the 6 week period of the study.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Institute of Otolaryngology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Li-Dong
LD
Zhao
Li
L
Li
Nan
N
Wu
Deng-Ke
DK
Li
Li-Li
LL
Ren
Wei-Wei
WW
Guo
Jian-He
JH
Sun
Hui-Zhan
HZ
Liu
Zhi-Ting
ZT
Chen
Guang-Qian
GQ
Xing
Shi-Ming
SM
Yang
D000583:Amikacin / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D002470:Cell Survival; D003051:Cochlea / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003638:Deafness / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012533:Scala Tympani / Q000601:surgery*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D000583:Amikacin