Depletion of cochlear macrophages does not affect hair cell recovery after ototoxic lesion.

<p> Cochlea were treated with clodronate-containing or ‘empty’ liposomes, or received no pretreatment. They were then incubated for 24 hr in 1 mM streptomycin (to kill hair cells) and allowed to recover <i>in vitro</i> for an additional seven days. Nearly identical levels of hair cell recovery were observed in all specimens, regardless of pretreatment (A, B). Quantification of hair cell density from five 100×100 µm regions/cochlea confirmed that macrophage depletion had no effect on hair cell regeneration (C). Scale bar = 30 µm.