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Fig. 1 | Proteome Science

Fig. 1

From: In vitro gentamicin exposure alters caveolae protein profile in cochlear spiral ligament pericytes

Fig. 1

Cochlea and lateral wall schematic. The cochlea is part of the inner ear; it is the organ of hearing. It harbors at its center the membranous labyrinth where the sensory cells reside. The cochlea is a spiral shell-like structure; it is encased in the temporal bone and contains three canals spiraling in two and one half turns. Two of the canals, scala tympani and scala vestibuli are filled with perilymph a fluid similar to the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma ultrafiltrate [116]. A third canal named scala media is separated from scala tympani and scala vestibuli by two membranes rich in tight junctions, the Reissner’s membrane and the Basilar membrane respectively. Scala media contains the endolymph a uniquely potassium-rich, positively polarized fluid, originating from the active filtration of the SV. The SV and the SL form the lateral wall of the inner ear, their microvasculature constitutes the blood labyrinth barrier (BLB) and functions with the tissue highly specialized cells to maintain the ionic composition of the endolymph and perilymph. Three different cell types are recognized in the SV; marginal, intermediate and basal cells. The marginal cells (MC) secrete K+, they constitute a homogeneous layer of epithelial cells lining the scala media fluid space, connected by tight junctions, adherens junctions and desmosomes. Marginal cells are rich in microvilli on the luminal side and lack a basement membrane on the opposite side, directly associating them with the vasculature beneath them [117]. Intermediate cells (IC) rich in melanin granules intertwine with the marginal cells without reaching the luminal side. Basal cells (BC) are lateral to the intermediate cell layer adjacent to the SL. The SL comprises five types of fibrocytes (I-V). The fibrocytes participate in pumping K+ out of the perilymph (Type II, IV, and V) and transport it to generate the endochoclear potential in the endolynph (Type I) [117]. In the figure: stria vascularis (SV). Spiral ligament (SL), marginal cells (MC), intermediate cells (IC), basal cells (BC), inner hair cells (IHC), outer hair cells (OHC), fibrocytes type I-V (Type I-V), circles are schematic representation of microvessels

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