Abstract
Auditory neurons cultured from adult rat acoustic ganglia require for survival either a substrate bound factor(s) present in astrocyte conditioned medium or substrate bound basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Nerve growth factor (NGF) is not a survival for these neurons in vitro, but when used in combination with substrate bound bFGF, NGF does vigorously stimulate a neuritogenesis response by these neurons. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ
1) enhances the survival effect that bFGF has on these adult auditory neurons but does not b itself promote their survival in dissociated acoustic ganglion cultures. We propose that there may be complex interactions and synergy exerted by these growth factors (i.e. bFGF, NGF, TGFβ
1) during injury to the inner ear.
