Effects of c-Fos antisense and mis-sense oligonucleotides on Fos expression in the vestibular nucleus and vestibular compensation following unilateral labyrinthectomy

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of an antisense ologodeoxynucleotide (AS‐ODN), complementary to the initiation codon of rat c‐fos mRNA, on Fos protein expression in the medial vestibular nuclei (MVN) and behavioural recovery ('vestibular compensation') following unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) in guinea pig. The AS‐ODN (1 mM), which was infused into the IVth ventricle close the the MVN beginning at 1 h pre‐UL and continuing to 5 h post‐UL, inhibited expression of the Fos protein in the MVN; however, a mis‐sense ODN (MS‐ODN) had a similar effect, suggesting a non‐sequence‐specific mechanism of action. Neither the AS‐ODN nor the MS‐ODN had any significant effect on vestibular compensation relative to vehicle controls.