Vestibular efferents contain peripherin.

Vestibular efferents have a common origin with the motoneurons of the facial nerve. In adults they share a number of common features, such as the same transmitter. Here we show using retrograde transport and immunohistochemistry, that the vestibular efferents, like facial motoneurons, contain peripherin.

Hair cell numbers do not decrease in the crista ampullaris of geriatric gerbils.

Among the geriatric population, dizziness and falling are serious problems. One system involved in balance that may change with age is the vestibular system. A common assertion is that the number of vestibular hair cells decreases as age increases.

Central distribution of vestibular afferents that innervate the anterior or lateral semicircular canal in the mongolian gerbil.

The central distribution of afferents that innervate the crista ampullaris of the anterior or lateral semicircular canals was determined in gerbils following the direct injection of tracers into one sensory neuroepithelia. Labeled somata were scattered throughout the superior ganglion. The central distribution of fibers demonstrated extensive overlap.

Decreased expression of calretinin and calbindin in the labyrinth of old gerbils.

Calretinin and calbindin staining were compared in the vestibular periphery of old (35-48 months) and young (4-12 months) animals. Both stain calyx-only afferents; calbindin stains additional terminals in the apex [Brain Res. 928 (2002) 8-17].

Central projections of the utricular nerve in the gerbil.

The central projections of primary afferent fibers in the utricular nerve, which convey linear head acceleration signals to neurons in the brainstem and cerebellum, are not completely defined. The purpose of this investigation was twofold: 1) to define the central projections of the gerbil utricular afferents by injecting horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the utricular macula; and 2) to investigate the projections of individual utricular afferents by injecting HRP intracellularly into functionally identified utricular neurons. We found that utricular afferents in the gerbil projected to all divisions of the vestibular nuclear complex, except the dorsal lateral vestibular nucleus.

Molecular probes of the vestibular nerve. II. Characterization of neurons in Scarpa's ganglion to determine separate populations within the nerve.

An unambiguous delineation of the exact numbers and/or proportions of calyx-only, dimorph, and bouton-only vestibular afferents is needed to continue studies concerning vestibular integration in the nervous system. Here, we take advantage of immunocytochemical properties of three groups of vestibular afferents. We utilize calretinin to delineate the calyx-only population, and peripherin to stain the bouton-only afferents.

Molecular probes of the vestibular nerve. I. Peripheral termination patterns of calretinin, calbindin and peripherin containing fibers.

Vestibular afferents have different physiological properties that can be at least partially correlated with the morphology that the peripheral ending makes with type I and type II hair cells. If the location of the ending in the sensory epithelium is included, the correlations are further improved. It is also known that vestibular afferents can be immunohistochemically stained for a variety of different substances.