FIG. 8.

A Light microscopic image of the organ of Corti (20–30 % cochlear sector) in a neonatally deafened animal (K319) after combined BDNF + ES, illustrating the ectopic sprouting of radial nerve fibers exiting from the osseous spiral lamina into the scala tympani (arrows) and forming small bundles (arrowheads) that take a spiral course within the loose fibrotic tissue matrix above the cochlear implant electrode. B Transmission electron micrograph image of these sprouted peripheral fibers in the scala tympani of this same cochlea illustrates several large, well-myelinated axonal profiles (m) as well as numerous unmyelinated fibers (u). Scale bar in A = 50 μm; scale bar in B = 0.5 μm.