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PMID: 16857713 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Review

Supporting sensory transduction: cochlear fluid homeostasis and the endocochlear potential.

The Journal of physiology ·Vol. 576 ·No. Pt 1 ·2006-10-01 ·Pages 11-21

Wangemann P

Abstract

The exquisite sensitivity of the cochlea, which mediates the transduction of sound waves into nerve impulses, depends on the endocochlear potential and requires a highly specialized environment that enables and sustains sensory function. Disturbance of cochlear homeostasis is the cause of many forms of hearing loss including the most frequently occurring syndromic and non-syndromic forms of hereditary hearing loss, Pendred syndrome and Cx26-related deafness. The occurrence of these and other monogenetic disorders illustrates that cochlear fluid homeostasis and the generation of the endocochlear potential are poorly secured by functional redundancy. This review summarizes the most prominent aspects of cochlear fluid homeostasis. It covers cochlear fluid composition, the generation of the endocochlear potential, K(+) secretion and cycling and its regulation, the role of gap junctions, mechanisms of acid-base homeostasis, and Ca(2+) transport.

MeSH Terms
Acid-Base Equilibrium/physiology Animals Cochlea/cytology,innervation,physiology Connexin 26 Connexins Evoked Potentials, Auditory/physiology Extracellular Fluid/physiology Gap Junctions/physiology Hearing Loss/physiopathology Homeostasis/physiology Humans Neurons, Afferent/physiology Potassium/metabolism Potassium Channels/physiology Signal Transduction/physiology Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/physiology
Chemicals
Connexins GJB2 protein, human Potassium Channels Connexin 26 Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase Potassium
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Wangemann Philine
Anatomy & Physiology Department, 205 Coles Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, 66506, USA. [email protected]
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Article Info
Journal
The Journal of physiology
Abbr.
J Physiol
ISSN
0022-3751
DOI
10.1113/jphysiol.2006.112888
Email
[email protected]
Published
2006-10-01
Epub
2006-00-20
Pages
11-21
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
0266262
PMCID
PMC1995626
Subset
IM
Grants
NIDCD NIH HHS · R01 DC001098 · United States
NIDCD NIH HHS · R01-DC01098 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.112888 PMC Full Text View journal details
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