In the inner ear, the activity of hair cells that transform sound into electrical signals is
modulated by a descending efferent innervation from the brain. A major component of this …

Background It has previously been shown that deletion of chrna9, the gene encoding the α9
nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit, results in abnormal synaptic terminal …

Background and Purpose The activation of α9α10 nicotinic cholinergic receptors (nAChRs)
present at the synapse between efferent olivocochlear fibres and cochlear hair cells can …

Ethylbenzene and para-xylene (p-xylene), but not the chemically closely related organic
solvents ortho-xylene (o-xylene) and meta-xylene (m-xylene), are known to cause ototoxicity …

The auditory system is comprised of ascending and descending neuronal pathways.
Corticofugal efferent projections are present at different relays of the auditory system. Of …

A significant number of subunits for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs) have been
identified in humans and other species. However, the evolutionary relationship and …

Efferent inhibition of cochlear hair cells is mediated by α9α10 nicotinic cholinergic receptors
(nAChRs) functionally coupled to calcium-activated, small conductance (SK2) potassium …

Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable mortality worldwide. There are more
than a billion smokers worldwide, an estimated 700 million children are exposed to second …

It is critical for hearing that the descending cochlear efferent system provides a negative
feedback to hair cells to regulate hearing sensitivity and protect hearing from noise. The …

The α9 and α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits assemble as pentameric
complexes with a central ligand-gated cation-selective pore. However, these subunits do not …