1991 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Immunohistochemical study of glycinergic neurons in the auditory pathway.
| Project/Area Number |
02670779
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Otorhinolaryngology
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| Research Institution | Mie University (1991)
Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center (1990) |
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Principal Investigator |
SEMBA Reiji Professor of Anatomy, Mie University, School of Medicine,, 医学部, 教授 (00090431)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
AOKI Eiko Research Assistant, Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Prefectural Colo, 発達障害研究所, 研究助手
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| Project Period (FY) |
1990 – 1991
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| Keywords | Glycine / Auditory pathway / Brainstem / Cochlear nucleus / Trapezoid body / Superior olivary complex / Immunostaining / Neurotransmission |
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| Research Abstract |
We have already succeeded in raising anti-glycine antibody and briefly reported immunohistochemical localization of glycinergic neurons in the auditory muclei. In the present study, details of the nuclei were studied.
In the cochlear nucleus, glycine-immunoreactive neurons were concentrated in its dorsal nucleus where glycine-positive terminals were in the ventral nucleus. This observation suggests that the input from the inner ear to the dorsal nucleus will suppress the ventral nucleus. Consequently, output from the cochlear nucleus will by compressed in its intensity according to the loudnesso of the sound, and a transmission of a wide dynamic range of sound to the higher nuclei will be enabled.
In the superior olivary complex, glycine immunoreactive fibers were observed in the pathway form the trapezoid body to the superior olive. As it is suggested that these nuclei are involved in a neural circuit for the discrimination of the sound direction, these glycine fibers might consist an important part of the circuit as follows. When a sound comes from the right side, it reaches to the right ear a little bit earlier than to the left. Then the glycinergic fibers from the right ear can suppress the activity of the opposite side and can emphasize the difference of the sound strength between the both ears.
Important functions of glycinergic fibers in the auditory pathway were suggested.
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