Figure 1.

Noise exposure increases CaN in outer hair cells (OHCs) and NFAT3 in OHC nuclei. (A) Surface preparations of the cochlear epithelium show that immunolabeling for CaN (red) in OHCs was stronger in noise-exposed mice examined 1 and 3 h after the completion of exposure compared to control mice without exposure. Green, phalloidin-labeled sensory hair cells. Images were taken from the basal turn corresponding to sensitivity to 22–32 kHz, and each figure is representative of five individual mice for each condition. Scale bar = 10 μm. (B) Quantification of relative CaN immunolabeling intensity in grayscale in OHCs normalized to control mice confirms significant increases. Data are presented as means ± SD; n = 5 for each condition with one ear analyzed per mouse; **p < 0.01. (C) Surface preparations show that NFAT3 immunolabeling was stronger in OHC nuclei 1 h after, followed by an even greater increase 3 h after exposure. For better visualization, three OHC nuclei were enlarged of the merged panels. This figure is representative of one ear per mouse in five individual mice in each group. Scale bar = 10 μm. (D) Quantification of NFAT3 immunolabeling intensity in grayscale in OHC nuclei confirms a significant increase 1 h after and a further increase 3 h after exposure. Data are presented as means ± SD; n = 5 for each condition, ***p < 0.001.