Abstract
The lateral wall of the cochlear duct dissected from gerbils or rats was studied by confocal laser microscopy. Specific structures in tissue preparations were stained with fluorescent dyes to clarify the following points: i) developmental changes in the capillary network in the lateral wall of the cochlear duct, ii) intercellular connection by gap junctions, iii) distribution of elongated cells connecting capillaries, and iv) three dimensional distribution of intermediate cells in the stria vascularis. These studies revealed structural characteristics related to specific functions of the stria vascularis.
