title: Expression of glycine receptors and gephyrin in rat medial vestibular nuclei and flocculi following unilateral labyrinthectomy.
abstract: The medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and the cerebellar flocculus have been known to be the key areas involved in vestibular compensation (VC) following unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). In this study, we examined the role of gephyrin and glycine receptor (GlyR) in VC using Sprague-Dawley rats, in an aim to gain deeper insight into the mechanisms responsible for VC. The expression of the α1 and β subunits of GlyR and gephyrin was immunohistochemically localized in rat MVN and flocculi. The mRNA and protein expression of GlyR (α1 and β subunits) and gephyrin was quantitatively determined by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis at 8 h, and at 1, 3 and 7 days following UL. It was found that in the ipsilateral MVN, the mRNA and protein expression of the β subunit of GlyR was significantly increased in comparison to the sham-operated (P<0.01) rats, and in comparison to the contralateral side (P<0.01) at 8 h following UL. In the ipsilateral flocculi, GlyR β protein expression was significantly elevated (P<0.01 for all), as compared to the sham-operated rats at 8 h, and at 1 and 3 days and to the contralateral side 8 h, 1 and 3 days following UL. No significant differences were observed in the mRNA and protein expression of GlyR α1 and gephyrin in the MVN or flocculi between the two sides (ipsilateral and contralateral) in the UL group, and between the sham-operated group and the UL group at any time point. The findings of our study thus suggest that GlyR plays a major role in the recovery of the resting discharge of the deafferented MVN neurons in the central vestibular system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liu-Qing
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Su-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei-Jia
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; C073441:gephyrin