Functional and morphological response of the stria vascularis following a sensorineural hearing loss

Cochlear endolymph is maintained at a potential of (+)80 mV by an active transport mechanism involving the stria vascularis (SV). This so-called endocochlear potential (EP) is integral to hair cell transduction. We compared the EP with changes in SV area and Na(+),K(+)-ATPase expression following a sensorineural hearing loss. Guinea pigs were deafened using kanamycin and a loop diuretic, and the EP was measured at two, 14, 56, 112 or 224 days following deafening. Auditory brainstem responses were used to confirm that each animal had a severe-profound hearing loss. There was a significant reduction in EP following two days of deafness (normal, 73.5 mV S.E.M.=2.4; deaf, 42.1 mV, S.E.M.=2.8; P<0.0001, t-test). In animals deafened for 14 days the EP had partially recovered (65.2 mV, S.E.M.=5.08), while animals deafened for longer periods exhibited a complete recovery (56 days 80.5 mV, S.E.M.=5.36; 112 days 75.7 mV, S.E.M.=2.71; 224 days 81.0 mV; S.E.M.=6.0). Despite this recovery, there was a systematic reduction in SV area with duration of deafness over the first 112 days of deafness. Significant reductions were localised to the basal turn in animals deafened for two days, but had extended to all turns in animals deafened for 112 days. While there was a significant reduction in strial area, the optical density of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase within the remaining SV was normal. Since the treated animals exhibited essentially a complete elimination of all hair cells, the total K(+) leakage current from the scala media would be expected to be significantly reduced. The large reduction in the extent of the SV after deafening suggests that a reduced strial volume is capable of maintaining a normal EP under conditions of reduced K(+) leakage current.