https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Index ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 Molecular and Functional Changes to Postsynaptic Cholinergic Signaling in the Vestibular Sensory Organs of Aging C57BL/6 Mice https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:50760 24 months) mice had impaired performance in a balance beam task compared to young (3-4 months) adult mice. While there was no qualitative loss of cholinergic axon varicosities in the crista ampullaris of old mice, qPCR analysis revealed reduced expression of nicotinic receptor subunit genes Chrna1, Chrna9, and Chrna10 in the cristae of old relative to young mice. Functionally, single-cell patch clamp recordings taken from type II vestibular hair cells exposed to acetylcholine show reduced conductance through alpha9/10 subunit-containing nicotinic receptors in older mice, despite preserved passive membrane properties and voltage-activated conductances. These findings suggest that cholinergic signaling in the peripheral vestibular sensory organs is vulnerable to aging processes, manifesting in dynamic molecular and functional age-related changes. Given the importance of these organs to our everyday activities, and the dramatic increase in fall incidence in the elderly, further investigation into the mechanisms of altered peripheral vestibular function in older humans is warranted.]]> Mon 07 Aug 2023 14:22:26 AEST ]]> The Long and Winding Road—Vestibular Efferent Anatomy in Mice https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:48979 Fri 21 Apr 2023 09:29:59 AEST ]]> Aged mice are less susceptible to motion sickness and show decreased efferent vestibular activity compared to young adults https://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:53582 Fri 08 Dec 2023 15:47:54 AEDT ]]>