Distribution of Na,K-ATPase is normal in the inner ear of a mouse with a null mutation of the glucocorticoid receptor

• Published in: Hearing research 1998-10, Vol.124 (1), p.146-154
• Main Authors: Erichsen, Susan, Stierna, Pontus, Bagger-Sjöbäck, Dan, Curtis, Lisa M, Rarey, Kyle E, Schmid, Wolfgang, Hultcrantz, Malou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenal Cortex Hormones - blood; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cochlea - enzymology; Ear and associated structures. Auditory pathways and centers. Hearing. Vocal organ. Phonation. Sound production. Echolocation; Ear, Inner - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucocorticoid receptor; Homologous recombination; Immunohistochemistry; Inner ear; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL - genetics; Mice, Inbred CBA; Mouse; Mutation - physiology; Na,K-ATPase; Receptors, Glucocorticoid - genetics; Reference Values; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase - metabolism; Space life sciences; Tissue Distribution; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Vestibule, Labyrinth - enzymology
• ISSN: 0378-5955; 1878-5891
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-5955(98)00117-8

This study was performed in order to test the hypothesis that the glucocorticoid hormone stimulates the formation of Na,K-ATPase in the inner ear of the mouse. An immunohistochemical study with respect to the presence and distribution of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and Na,K-ATPase in the vestibular and cochlear regions of the inner ear was performed on a C57BL mouse with a null mutation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR mutant mouse). The wild type C57BL mouse and the CBA mouse served as normal controls. As expected, the homozygous GR mutant mouse showed no specific staining for GR in the inner ear. The heterozygous GR mutant mouse showed faint staining of GR in the spiral limbus, the spiral ganglion, the organ of Corti and the utricle. This staining was markedly less than in the wild type C57BL mouse. Antibody labelling of Na,K-ATPase in the inner ear showed no significant difference between the homozygous and the heterozygous GR mutant mouse as compared to the control wild type C57BL mouse or the CBA mouse. Although earlier studies have shown a positive correlation between levels of glucocorticoid hormone in serum and the concentration of Na,K-ATPase in the inner ear, the hypothesis that glucocorticoid hormones alone stimulate the formation of Na,K-ATPase in the inner ear could not be confirmed by this study. Thus other regulating substances must be considered.