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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Oct 15.
Published in final edited form as: J Neuroimmunol. 2018 Jul 3;323:152–166. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2018.06.019

Figure 7.

Figure 7

LLN causes morphological transformation of BM-macrophages to activated phenotypes. A–B. Comparison of the circularity index of BM-macrophages between the naive cochleae (n=5) and the cochleae stressed with LLN for 7d (n=4) and 15 days (n=4). A. Analysis of apical macrophages reveals the maintenance of the gross morphology subsequent to LLN. B. Morphological analysis of basal BM-macrophages reveals significantly more circular cell bodies in cochleae stressed with LLN for both 7 days and 15 days (*** P < 0.001). This change reflects the macrophage shape alterations from curvilinear networked cells in naive cochleae to rounded globular amoeboid macrophages dominant in cochleae stressed by LLN. C. Typical morphology of BM-Macrophages in the middle turn of a normal control cochlea. Note that under naive conditions, BM-macrophages in the middle turn appear as a network of long, thin curvilinear cells that are aligned with the natural curve of the basilar membrane (arrows). D. Morphology of macrophages in the same location of an age-matched cochlea exposed to LLN for 15 days. Macrophages transformed from a curvilinear networked shape seen under steady-state conditions to an amoeboid shape (large single arrows), a morphology associated with an activated immune status. In addition to large amoeboid cells, several small, round and teardrop shaped cells can be seen on the basilar membrane (small double arrows). E–F. Cell size comparison of BM-macrophages in naive cochleae (n=5) and cochleae exposed to LLN for 7 days (n=4) and 15 days (n=4). E. Analysis of apical macrophages indicates no changes in cell size following LLN stress. F. Size analysis of basal BM-macrophages reveals a slight decrease in the mean cell size subsequent to LLN stress, but the change is not statistically significant.