Type II cochlear ganglion cells in the chinchilla

In order to ascertain whether Type II cochlear ganglion cells project to the brain, we have studied the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from the cochlear nucleus to the spiral ganglion of the chinchilla. In this animal there exist two types of ganglion neurons, which closely correspond to those previously described in guinea pigs, cats and rats. As in the guinea pig, the majority population (Type I) consists of relatively large, myelinated neurons. The minority population (Type II, 10% of the total population) consists of small, mostly unmyelinated cells, with filamentous cytoplasm and finely grained nuclear chromatin. Type II neurons tend to be clustered toward the peripheral side of Rosenthal's canal, often in close proximity to the intraganglionic spiral bundle. By 24 h after injections of HRP into the cochlear nucleus, incubation of the cochlear ganglion in diaminobenzidine/H₂O₂ reveals abundant HRP label in both Type I and Type II neurons. Type II neurons, however, tend to be labelled less intensely than Type I neurons. Control experiments, consisting of spillage of HRP solution over the cochlear nucleus, were carried out to determine how much HRP might be picked up by neurons after HRP diffusion. Comparison of cochleae from injected animals and from the control animals suggests that most of the label that was found in ganglion neurons after cochlear nucleus injections represents axonally transported HRP. We conclude, at least tentatively, that Type II neurons project to the brain. The fact that less label is found in Type II neurons than in Type I neurons suggests that the former have thinner axons and/or finer terminals in the cochlear nucleus.