2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

The histologic and functional study of macrophage in the endolymphatic sac.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	11671715
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Otorhinolaryngology
Research Institution	KAWASAKI MEDICAL SCHOOL
Principal Investigator	HARADA Tamotsu Medical dep, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (30165021)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	TAKEMOTO Takuji Medical dep., Assistant Professor, 医学部, 講師 (10248239)
Project Period (FY)	1999 – 2001
Keywords	endolymphatic sac / macrophage / endolymphatic hydrops / Cytokine / electrocochleogram
Research Abstract	Opinions have been divided on the cause of Meniere's disease. It's pathology was first described by Yamakawa (1938) who found endolymphatic hydrops. He have reported the degeneration of the endolymphatic sac. The purpose of this study was to elucidate macrophage functions in the endolymphatic sac. 1.Anaphylatoxins were inoculated into the carotid artery of the guinea pigs (n=13). Pathological changes in inner ears were observed by light microscopy and counted macrophages in the whole endolymphatic sac. The stria vascularis were extremely atrophied. Macrophages were found 77+ 40 pieces (P) in the endolymphatic sac (control : 22ア 13P). Macrophages were found 2.3P in the endolymphatic sac of CH3/He J mouse, 4.6P in the endolymphatic sac of CH/He mouse. 2.We could measure electrocochleogram on mice. 3.Macrophages in endolymphatic sac were cultured in Dulbecco' s - MEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. We measured the inflammatory substances (IL- /3, TNF- a, IL-4, IL-6) levels in DulbeccoVMEM, but we couldn't detect the inflammatory substances.The inflammatory function of macrophages in the endolymphatic sac may play an important role but we surmised these macrophages were directly unrelated to the endolymphatic hydrops.