Reduction in Noise-Induced Functional Loss of the Cochleae in Mice with Pre-Existing Cochlear Dysfunction Due to Genetic Interference of Prestin
Figure 3
Prestin expression remains consistent in the Prestin-CreERT2 knockin homozygous mice showing diverse levels of hearing sensitivity.
A Correlation between the transcriptional expression levels of prestin and the ABR thresholds of the same ears in the Prestin-CreERT2 knockin homozygous mice. The total RNAs were extracted from the organ of Corti tissues, and the prestin mRNA expression level was normalized to the reference gene (Hprt1). There is no significant correlation between the level of prestin expression and the level of ABR threshold (Pearson's correlation analysis, r = −0.140, P = 0.699), indicating that the prestin expression level remains consistent among the ears with diverse threshold levels of ABRs. B A typical image of prestin immunoreactivity in the cochlear sensory epithelium of a wild-type mouse. The circular immunolabeling in the three rows of OHCs, indicated by the arrows, is clearly visible. OHC1, OHC2 and OHC3 indicate the first, second and third rows of OHCs, respectively. Bar = 20 µm. C A typical image of prestin immunoreactivity in the cochlear sensory epithelium of a Prestin-CreERT2 knockin homozygous mouse that had a high level of the average ABR threshold (81 dB SPL). The pattern of prestin immunoreactivity is similar to that observed in the control ear (see Fig. 3B). Note that the fluorescence intensity of the prestin immunolabeling appears not be homogenous across certain OHCs in both (A) and (B), which is due to the off-focus of the confocal images.