The presence of zinc has been noticed in different areas of the central nervous system, and, in the auditory system, cochlear nuclei. Its physiological role has not yet been fully described. AIM: This work has as main goals: to study the anatomic distribution of zinc. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental. MATERIAL AND METHOD: By means of histochemistry, and to compare it with the morphological features observed by using Nissl-staining methods, in cochlear nuclei. The subjects were adults rats. They were sacrificed by intracardiac perfusion, following a protocol for zinc histochemistry. The cochlear nuclei were studied by light microscopy. RESULTS: The authors describe the differenciated distribution of zinc among dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei. CONCLUSION: They concluded that this feature has a relationship with the physiological differentiation of them.
zinc; cochlear nuclei; histochemistry
