Figure 6.

fB deficiency results in cochlear stria vascularis pathologies. (A–F) Electron micrographs of the stria vascularis in the cochlear lateral wall of WT (A–C) and fB^−/− (D–I) mice. In young adult fB^−/− mice (D,E,G,H), the integrity of the interdigitation among intermediate cells (Ic), marginal cells (Mc) and basal cells (Bc) is disrupted or lost (black arrowheads), while their age-matched WT controls have well-organized interdigitation in the stria vascularis (A–C). (F,I) Substantial pathological alterations were seen in the strial vascularis of postnatal fB^−/− mice (P16 mouse in F; P14 mouse in I). A white arrow shows macrophage-like processes within the space between the intermediate cells and marginal cells.