Blood flow and assessment of capillaries in the aging rat posterior canal crista

Vascular change has been proposed as an etiological factor in inner ear aging and in several inner ear disorders. Moreover, some successful medical management of the episodic vertigo and tinnitus associated with Ménière's disease has been directed toward pharmacologically increasing blood flow, changing vascular permeability or ion homeostasis. While there are many studies of cochlear capillary morphology and blood flow, there are very few examining these variables in the vestibular system and none with respect to aging. The purpose of this study was to examine the rat posterior canal ampullary crista for age-related changes in blood flow and capillary morphology. By combining stereological techniques with microsphere injection, we have determined that in the rat posterior canal crista there is a statistically significant age-related decrease in blood flow (75%), mean capillary diameter (31%), and volume fraction of capillary lumen (31%). There is also an overall 18% decrease in the volume of the ampullary crista, a 72% decrease in blood flow/unit volume and a 36% increase in capillary length/unit volume. There were no significant changes in the capillary surface area/unit volume, the absolute capillary length, or the absolute capillary surface area. These data suggest impaired blood flow and degenerative loss of the ampullary crista may be relate to impaired end organ function.

[1]  R. Kimura.  Animal models of inner ear vascular disturbances. , 1986, American journal of otolaryngology.

[2]  Y. Nakai,et al.  Scanning electron microscopy of the microvascular system in the inner ear. , 1986, Scanning electron microscopy.

[3]  H. J. G. Gundersen,et al.  The new stereological tools: Disector, fractionator, nucleator and point sampled intercepts and their use in pathological research and diagnosis , 1988, APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica.

[4]  R. Baloh,et al.  Vertigo of vascular origin. Clinical and electronystagmographic features in 84 cases. , 1989, Archives of neurology.

[5]  A. Bill,et al.  The microsphere method for measuring low blood flows: theory and computer simulations applied to findings in the rat cochlea. , 1987, Acta physiologica Scandinavica.

[6]  L M Cruz-Orive,et al.  Estimation of surface area from vertical sections , 1986, Journal of microscopy.

[7]  M. Reivich,et al.  THE [14C]DEOXYGLUCOSE METHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF LOCAL CEREBRAL GLUCOSE UTILIZATION: THEORY, PROCEDURE, AND NORMAL VALUES IN THE CONSCIOUS AND ANESTHETIZED ALBINO RAT 1 , 1977, Journal of neurochemistry.

[8]  M. Lyon,et al.  Rat Utricular Macula: Blood Flow and Stereological Assessment of Capillary Morphology , 1993, The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology.

[9]  T. Nakashima,et al.  Blood flow in the cochlea, vestibular apparatus and facial nerve. , 1991, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[10]  C. Angelborg,et al.  Blood flow in the peripheral vestibular system. , 1985, The Journal of otolaryngology.

[11]  H. J. G. GUNDERSEN,et al.  Some new, simple and efficient stereological methods and their use in pathological research and diagnosis , 1988, APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica.

[12]  L. Sokoloff,et al.  Relationships among local functional activity, energy metabolism, and blood flow in the central nervous system. , 1981, Federation proceedings.

[13]  N. Slepecky,et al.  Regional Cochlear Blood Flow Studied by Observation of Microspheres in Serial Sections , 1985, The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology.

[14]  E. Hultcrantz,et al.  Cochlear blood circulation studied with microspheres. , 1978, ORL; journal for oto-rhino-laryngology and its related specialties.

[15]  A. Axelsson,et al.  Regional blood flow in the rabbit cochlea. , 1984, Archives of otolaryngology.

[16]  J. E. Hawkins.  Vascular patterns of the membranous labyrinth , 1968 .

[17]  H. Pillsbury,et al.  Cochlear microcirculation in young and old gerbils. , 1990, Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery.

[18]  H. Sohmer,et al.  The depression of the auditory nerve-brain-stem evoked response in hypoxaemia--mechanism and site of effect. , 1986, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[19]  Catherine A. Smith,et al.  The capillaries of the vestibular membranous labyrinth in the guinea pig , 1953, The Laryngoscope.

[20]  H. Sohmer,et al.  ABR threshold is a function of blood oxygen level , 1989, Hearing Research.

[21]  N. Slepecky,et al.  Determination of the regional cochlear blood flow in the rat cochlea using non-radioactive microspheres and serially sectioned cochleas , 1984, Hearing Research.

[22]  J. E. Hawkins,et al.  Vascular Changes in the Human Inner Ear Associated with Aging , 1972, The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology.

[23]  Harold F. Schuknecht,et al.  Pathology of the Ear , 1974 .

[24]  L M Cruz-Orive,et al.  Application of the Cavalieri principle and vertical sections method to lung: estimation of volume and pleural surface area , 1988, Journal of microscopy.

[25]  Y. Terayama,et al.  Distribution and origin of adrenergic nerve fibers in the vestibular apparatus and their arterial supply in the guinea pig. A fluorescent microscopic study. , 1973, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[26]  E Hultcrantz,et al.  Clinical treatment of vascular inner ear diseases. , 1988, American journal of otolaryngology.

[27]  H. Gundersen.  Stereology of arbitrary particles * , 1986, Journal of microscopy.

[28]  P. Spano,et al.  Effect of age on β-adrenergic receptors on cerebral microvessels , 1982, Brain Research.

[29]  R. Gussen.  Vascular mechanisms in Meniere's disease , 1983, Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

[30]  Cohen Gm,et al.  The developing and senescent inner ear: selected topics and models. , 1988 .

[31]  A. Axelsson.  The cochlear blood vessels in guinea pigs of different ages. , 1971, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[32]  F. Horak,et al.  Components of postural dyscontrol in the elderly: A review , 1989, Neurobiology of Aging.

[33]  H. Pillsbury,et al.  Cochlear Blood Flow in the Rat: A Comparison of 10- and 15-μm Spheres , 1986 .

[34]  A. Woods,et al.  Morphometric analysis and fine structure of the vestibular epithelium of aged C57BL/6NNia mice , 1987, Hearing Research.

[35]  R. Gussen.  Vascular mechanisms in Meniere's disease. Theoretical considerations. , 1982, Archives of otolaryngology.

[36]  R. Butler,et al.  Effect of Anoxia on Cochlear Potentials , 1961 .

[37]  H J Gundersen,et al.  The efficiency of systematic sampling in stereology and its prediction * , 1987, Journal of microscopy.

[38]  C. Fernández,et al.  EXPERIMENTS ON TEMPORARY OBSTRUCTION OF THE INTERNAL AUDITORY ARTERY. , 1959, The Laryngoscope.

[39]  H. Spokndlin,et al.  The Adrenergic Innervation of the Labyrinth , 1966 .

[40]  O. Densert.  A fluorescence and electron microscopic study of the adrenergic innervation in the vestibular ganglion and sensory areas. , 1975, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[41]  N. Sposito,et al.  Topography of Capillary Density, Glucose Metabolism, and Microvascular Function within the Rat Inferior Colliculus , 1987, Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism.

[42]  N. Toda.  Age-related changes in responses to nerve stimulation and catecholamines in isolated monkey cerebral arteries. , 1991, The American journal of physiology.

[43]  K. Hozawa,et al.  Vestibular sympathetic nervous system in guinea pig. , 1989, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[44]  H. Wanamaker,et al.  Blood Flow and Capillary Surface Area of Rat Posterior Canal Ampulla , 1990, Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

[45]  M. Hillerdal.  Cochlear blood flow in the rat. A methodological evaluation of the microsphere method , 1987, Hearing Research.

[46]  A. Fischer.  Histamine in the treatment of vertigo. , 1991, Acta oto-laryngologica. Supplementum.