Ultrastructural study of cytochemical localization of carbonic anhydrase in the inner ear

Abstract

Vibratome sections were stained for cytochemical localization of carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity in vestibular neuro-epithelium, spiral ligament and spiral limbus. The new finding is the localization of reaction products in the interdental cells of the spiral limbus, Claudius' cells, mesothelial cells of the lower border of spiral ligament, vestibular sensory cells and perilymphatic cells, which have not earlier been proved to have CA activity. The interdental cells showed the products only on the basolateral infoldings. Claudius' cells showed prominent products in the microvilli. In the vestibular sensory cells, the products were present only in the stereocilia and cuticular areas. The perilymphatic fibrocytes under the vestibular sensory epithelium, like the fibrocytes of the spiral ligament, revealed diffuse products throughout the whole cell. In the vestibular supporting cells and transitional cells, the reaction products were localized diffusely in the cytosol, but not in the secretory granules. In the long cell projections of the transitional cells, type II fibrocytes at spiral prominence, mesothelial cells at the uppermost region of the spiral ligament and Borghesan's zone, the localization of the reaction products was the same as that of the basolateral infoldings of the vestibular dark cells and marginal cells of stria vascularis shown previously.