Inner ear fine structures of the hamster in frozen sections used for immunohistochemical assays for inner ear diseases.

Frozen sections of the inner ear of the hamster enable detailed investigations of the fine structures in immunofluorescence assays. At high magnification single mitochondria can be identified by their reactions with an antiserum containing antibodies against mitochondria. In the positive reaction with an antiserum against nuclei, the typical green fluorescence is restricted to the nuclei, which are mostly separated by the surrounding cytoplasm. The method of immunohistochemical assay using frozen sections from the non-decalcified inner ear is very time-consuming and cannot be recommended for the routine diagnosis of inner ear diseases, although it may be useful in research and for studying critical clinical cases.