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Trpa1 Channels In Cochlear Supporting Cells Regulate Hearing Sensitivity After Noise Exposure, Alejandra C. Velez-Ortega

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

TRPA1 channels are sensors for noxious stimuli in a subset of nociceptive neurons. TRPA1 channels are also expressed in cells of the mammalian inner ear, but their function in this tissue remains unknown given that Trpa1^–/– mice exhibit normal hearing, balance and sensory mechanotransduction. Here we show that non-sensory (supporting) cells of the hearing organ in the cochlea detect tissue damage via the activation of TRPA1 channels and subsequently modulate cochlear amplification through active cellshape changes.

We found that cochlear supporting cells of wild type but not Trpa1^–/– mice generate inward currents and robust long-lasting Ca²⁺ responses …