The effects of unilateral cochlear ablation on the expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 1 in the lower auditory pathway of neonatal rats.

OBJECTIVES: Unilateral cochlear damage has profound effects on the central auditory pathways in the brain. METHODS: We examined the effects of unilateral cochlear ablation on VGLUT1 expression in the cochlear nucleus (CN) and the superior olivary complex (SOC) in neonatal rats. RESULTS: VGLUT1 expression in the CN subdivisions (the AVCN, the PVCN and the DCN-deep layers) and the SOC (the MnTB, the LSO and the MSO) ipsilateral to the ablated side was significantly suppressed by unilateral cochlear ablation. Interestingly, VGLUT1 expression in the PVCN and the DCN-deep layers contralateral to the ablated side was also reduced. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that unilateral cochlear ablation affects VGLUT1 expression in the central auditory pathways not only ipsilateral but also contralateral to the ablated side.