Motility of the Vestibular Hair Cells in the Chick

Recent studies of the outer hair cells in cochlea have demonstrated active motilities. However, very little study has been done on the vestibular hair cells. The present study shows the motile response of the vestibular hair cells induced by application of Ca^<2+>/ATP promoting contraction. Reversible cell shape changes could be shown in 10 of 16 isolated type I hair cells and 8 of 15 isolated type II hair cells by applying the contraction solution. The cell shape changes revealed mainly the decrease in width of the cuticular plate and infracuticular region. Furthermore, the sensory hairs in the utricular epithelium pivoted around the base and stood perpendicularly to the apical borderline of the epithelium in response to the application of the same solution. It was suggested that contraction in the cuticular plate of the istolated hair cells might be transferred to tension which causes the sensory hairs to stand up and restricts the motion of the sensory hairs in normal tissue.

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