Figure 5. Ototoxic injury and hair cell regeneration in organotypic culture.

Cultures of chick cochleae were treated for 24 hr with 1 mM streptomycin, which killed nearly all hair cells in the sensory epithelium (center). When such lesioned specimens were maintained for an additional seven days in streptomycin-free medium, significant hair cell recovery was observed (right). All images show the midregion of the chick cochlea. Labels: red-Myosin VIIA (hair cells), green-phalloidin. Scale bar = 30 µm.