Role of cholinergic mossy fibers in vestibular nuclei in the development of vestibular compensation. 
Several lines of evidence have suggested that acetylcholine is a possible neurotransmitter/neuromodulator involved in vestibular compensation.  However, details of cholinergic effective sites during vestibular compensation remain unclear.  In this study, we selectively damaged the rat vestibulo-floccular cholinergic mossy fibers using ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion.  In these animals, unilateral labyrinthectomy caused more severe vestibulo-ocular deficits, especially in the initial stage.  These findings suggest that the vestibulo-floccular cholinergic mossy fibers serve to restore the balance between intervestibular nuclear activities in order to induce vestibular compensation in the initial stage.