Figure 8.
Histological sections were cut tangential to the conventional radial plane to evaluate survival of the peripheral processes of the SG neurons in BDNF-treated (a) and contralateral control (b) cochleae in a 0.1 mm sector of the osseous spiral lamina (width of each micrograph = 0.1 mm). c. Counts of the radial nerve fiber profiles at three different cochlear locations within the basal turn demonstrated a significant improvement in survival after BDNF treatment (black bars) as compared to the contralateral deafened cochleae (lightly shaded bars) or after artificial perilymph infusion (white bars). d. Cross-sectional areas of the radial nerve fibers were also evaluated at the same 3 cochlear locations where fiber counts were performed. Averaged over the 3 locations, fibers in the BDNF-treated cochleae were markedly larger than normal and also much larger than fibers in the contralateral cochleae and in AP cochleae. Scale bar in b applies to a and b = 10 μm)