Figure 8

Macrophage invasion in stria vascularis. Macrophages were visualized by CD68 immunohistochemistry in whole mounts of stria vascularis and cryosections of the cochlear lateral wall. Top row: (a-d), CD68 staining in whole mounts of stria vascularis from P33 Slc26a4 ^+/- and Slc26a4 ^-/- mice. Immunostaining of CD68 (a and d) and corresponding bright field images (b and c) are shown. Second and third row: (e-p), CD68 staining in cryosections of the cochlear lateral wall from P33 and P80 Slc26a4 ^+/- and Slc26a4 ^-/- mice. Immunostaining of CD68 (e, h, k, and n), corresponding bright field images (f, i, l, and o) and merged images (g, j, m, and p) are shown. Note that CD68 expression is restricted to hyperpigmented areas of stria vascularis in Slc26a4 ^-/- mice and that no expression of CD68 was observed in Slc26a4 ^+/- mice. Scale bars represent 10 μm.