EFFERENT INNERVATION OF THE VESTIBULAR APPARATUS

这笔小额赠款将用于收集有关传出的初步数据 前庭周围器官的神经支配。最近的工作有 表明这个种群可能是异质性的 神经递质、神经化学及其外周靶点。这 这一建议如果得到证实，将改变我们的观点，即传出信号是 一个非特定的系统。这项研究的目标是定义潜在的 栗鼠传出神经元亚群的研究 脑干位置，他们的投射到一只耳朵、另一只耳朵或两只耳朵， 它们的神经化学特征及其在毛发上的外周终末 细胞、花萼和其他传入突起。具体目标是：1) 确定脑干中不同的传出神经元群体 基于对可能的传出物质和传出解剖学的现有知识 以及2)将这些知识与区域分析相关联 脑内化学定义的传出纤维和纤维的突触关系 外围。脑干中的传出神经元将被识别为 向外周逆行注射荧光示踪剂的方法 前庭器官和将同时表征 通过使用几种推定的抗体进行免疫组织化学 神经递质(乙酰胆碱、γ-氨基丁酸、降钙素 基因相关肽、甲硫氨酸脑啡肽等)。分析将是 向周围延伸，电子显微镜免疫组织化学 方法将被用来表征神经化学的独特之处 传出粒子在感官上的终止 上皮组织。这个项目的意义在于，一个精确的 关于构成人口的不同元素的知识 传出神经将进一步加深我们对脑干控制的理解 外周感觉处理。

This Small Grant will be used to gather preliminary data on the efferent innervation of the peripheral vestibular apparatus. Recent work has suggested that this population may be heterogeneous in its neurotransmitter neurochemistry and in its peripheral targets. This suggestion, if confirmed, would change our view that the efferents are a nonspecific system. The goal of this study is to define potential subpopulations of efferent neurons in the chinchilla based on their brain stem locations, their projections to one, the other or both ears, their neurochemical identities and their peripheral terminations on hair cells, calyces and other afferent processes. The specific aims are: 1) to define separate populations of efferent neurons in the brain stem based on current knowledge of possible transmitters and efferent anatomy and 2) to correlate this knowledge with an analysis of the regional synaptic relations of chemically-defined efferent boutons and fibers in the periphery. Efferent neurons in the brain stem will be identified by means of fluorescent retrograde tracer injections into the peripheral vestibular apparatus and will be simultaneously characterized immunohistochemically by the use of antibodies to several putative neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, calcitonin gene-related peptide, met-enkephalin and others). The analysis will be extended to the periphery where electron microscopic immunohistochemical methods will be used to characterize neurochemically distinctive efferent boutons in terms of their terminations in the sensory epithelium. The significance of this project is that a precise knowledge of the different elements comprising the population of efferents will further our understanding of brain stem control of peripheral sensory processing.