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Ultrastructure of Contralaterally Projecting Vestibular Efferent Neurons in the Cat
Michael J. Parker, MD;
Michael J. Lyon, PhD;
Richard R. Gacek, MD
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1988;114(5):545-549.
Abstract
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• Numerous reports have demonstrated that primary vestibular afferent axons terminate in the vicinity of centrally located vestibular efferent (VE) neurons. The goal of this study was to morphologically demonstrate contact of primary vestibular afferents directly on the soma of contralaterally projecting VE neurons, as well as develop a quantitative description of these neurons. A right vestibular neurectomy was performed in three young adult cats followed up three days later by the placement of horseradish peroxidase into the left vestibule. Labeled contralateral (right) VE neurons were examined in a transmission electron microscope for degenerating synaptic profiles contacting the soma. Ultrastructural characteristics of VE neurons, including nuclear size, volume fraction of intracellular organelles, number of synaptic profiles, and cellular shape, were quantitatively analyzed. No degenerating synaptic profiles were observed on labeled VE soma, although degenerating axons were present nearby. Statistical analysis of volume fraction data of the VE neurons suggests a continuum of a single subpopulation of cells rather than multiple subpopulations.
(Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1988;114:545-549)
Author Affiliations
From the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York–Health Science Center at Syracuse (Drs Parker, Lyon, and Gacek), and the Veterans Administration Medical Center (Dr Gacek), Syracuse, NY.
Footnotes
Accepted for publication Dec 14, 1987.
Reprint requests to Department of Otolaryngology, SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, 156 Weiskotten Hall, 766 Irving Ave, Syracuse, NY 13210 (Dr Lyon).
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