Down-regulation of the large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel expression in C57BL/6J cochlea.
CONCLUSIONS
The large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+ )channels (BK) expression is decreased in the cochleae of age-related hearing loss (AHL) mice. BK channel may be associated with AHL.


OBJECTIVE
AHL is the most common among elderly persons. BK channels act as sensors for membrane voltage and intracellular Ca(2+ )and are essential for hearing. To investigate the distribution of BK channel in the cochleae of C57BL/6J mice, and the relationship between the expression of BK channel and the etiology of AHL.


METHODS
BK expression was studied in the cochleae of C57BL/6J mice at various ages (4, 12, 26, 52 weeks). The expressions of BK at the protein and mRNA levels were detected by immunofluorescence technique, western blot and quantitative real time PCR.


RESULTS
In comparison with 4-week-old mice, BK expressions in the cochleae at 12, 26 and 52 weeks of age were significantly and gradually decreased at both the protein and the mRNA levels. The immunofluorescence technique showed the BK channel was located in the hair cells and cells of the spiral ganglion, spiral ligament and stria vascularis and its expression also decreased with aging.
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Chunchen
C
Pan
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Hanqi
H
Chu
b Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , the First People's Hospital of Foshan , Foshan , Guangdong , PR China.
Yanbing
Y
Lai
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Yun
Y
Liu
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Yanbo
Y
Sun
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Zhihui
Z
Du
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Jin
J
Chen
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Ting
T
Tong
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Qingguo
Q
Chen
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Liangqiang
L
Zhou
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Dan
D
Bing
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , PR China ;
Yanling
Y
Tao
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003051:Cochlea / Q000378:metabolism*; D006309:Hearing; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger
BK; C57BL/6J; cochlea; presbycusis