The cochlear glomeruli in the modiolus of the guinea pig.

The cochlear glomeruli were studied in guinea pigs using scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts and transmission electron microscopy of tissue sections. Two types of coiled vessels forming the cochlear glomeruli were found in the bony wall of the modiolus. First, upper glomeruli were seen situated in the bony wall next to the scala vestibuli; second, lower glomeruli were located in the osseous spiral lamina just above the spiral ganglion. Upper glomeruli gave rise to radiating arterioles which supplied capillaries of the stria the spiral lamina and limbus. Unlike the main supplying arteries, smooth muscle cells were not present in the walls of the arterioles forming the glomeruli and a peculiar layer of lamellar pericytes was found. The arterioles were strikingly longer than their parent vessels and no autonomic nerves were found in close spatial relationship. Hence, these findings indicate that the cochlear glomeruli serve as efficient devices for reducing cochlear blood pressure.