The cytoarchitecture of the dorsal cochlear nucleus in the 3‐month‐ and 26‐month‐old C57BL/6 mouse: A golgi impregnation study

Abstract

The cytoarchitecture of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) was compared in 3- and 26-month-old C57BL/6 mice. The effects of genetically controlled progressive hearing loss present in the CNS in this mouse strain were analyzed with Nissl-stained and Golgi-impregnated material. The DCN was divided into the superficial molecular, an intermediate fusiform-granule, and the deep polymorphic layers. The molecular layer (ML) consisted of many fibers and a few small ovoid to spherical, fusiform, and granule cells. The fusiform-granule layer (FL) contained large fusiform and many granule cells. Most FL fusiform cells were oriented with their long axes perpendicular to the DCN surface and were present as small aggregations or individually. Cartwheel cells were adjacent to the FL fusiform cells. The deep polymorphic layer (PL) contained spherical, fusiform, granule, and multipolar neurons. The granule cells formed a dorsal cap of the DCN. From this cap, sheets of granule cells separated the DCN from the posterior ventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN) and from the brainsteM. The internal organization, neuronal location, orientation, and morphology were similar in both age groups. The granule cells had four to five primary dendrites, varicosities, and few to no dendritic appendages. The FL fusiform cells displayed different dendritic morphology in the two ages. One or two elaborate primary ML apical dendrites in the 3-month-old mice were covered with spikelike dendritic spines. The basal one or two PL dendrites were less elaborate and had few dendrite spines. In contrast, FL fusiform neurons in 26-month-old mice had regular dendritic varicosities and fewer spines which were short and stumpy. Basal dendrites had varicosities and interruptions. Cartwheel neurons in 3-month-old mice had elaborate ML dendritic trees covered with dendritic spines. In 26-month-old mice the dendrites had many varicosities and fewer short blunted dendritic spines. Large multipolar neurons in older mice had thinner dendrites with more varicosities than were in the 3-month group. In both age groups multipolar cells had few dendritic spines limited distally. Small and large spherical cells had two to five primary dendrites with varicosities, little higher-order branching, and spines. Fusiform cells had one or two primary dendrites, little secondary branching, and few to no spines. Minor degenerative changes were noted in spherical and fusiform cells in the two age groups. These included dendritic varicosities, interruptions, and some irregularities of somata surface. Degenerative changes present in the cochlea had significant effects on a limited population of DCN neurons. Finally, the neuronal morphology and architecture of the DCN in C57BL/6 mouse is similar to other mammalian species.

Sonic hedgehog-associated medulloblastoma arising from the cochlear nuclei of the brainstem

“…3e), while the cochlear cortex in ptch1 ?/-mice (Fig. 3f) displayed the expected laminar structure [2]. Finally, we detected high numbers of cells expressing Ki67 in the CN of hGFAP-cre::SmoM2-YFP Fl/?…”

Connexin36 expression in major centers of the auditory system in the CNS of mouse and rat: Evidence for neurons forming purely electrical synapses and morphologically mixed synapses

“…The DCN contains several types of neurons, including inhibitory interneuron stellate and cartwheel cells in the superficial molecular layer, excitatory principal fusiform cells in the fusiform cell layer and other types in deeper layers (Browner and Baruch, 1982). The neuronal organization of the DCN is similar to the cerebellar cortex (Mugnaini, 1985; Wouterlood et al, 1984), where stellate cells form gap junctionally coupled networks (Mann-Metzer and Yarom, 1999; Mugnaini, 1985; Wouterlood et al, 1984).…”

Frequency-specific corticofugal modulation of the dorsal cochlear nucleus in mice

“…In addition to tonotopic organization and multisensory inputs, the DCN is a layered structure and consists of distinct cell types including the fusiform cells, giant cells, granule neurons and cartwheel cells (Mugnaini et al, 1980; Browner and Baruch, 1982; Webster and Trune, 1982; Ryugo and Willard, 1985; Willott et al, 1992; Willott, 2001). It has been shown in vitro studies that different types of neurons have different membrane properties and firing patterns (Hirsch and Oertel, 1988; Oertel and Wu, 1989; Zhang and Oertel, 1993a,b,c).…”