[Culture of marginal cells from guinea pig cochlear stria vascularis explants]

To provide the prerequisite for further investigation of drugs ototoxicity and the probable mechanisms, explant culture technique of guinea pig cochlear strial marginal cells were established.

26 healthy pigmented guinea pig were randomly divided into four groups according to the period of stria vascularis cultivated: 24 hours group (n = 8); 72 hours group (n = 8); more than 72 hours group (n = 8); control group (fresh stria vascularis fixed group, n = 2). Several explants of stria vascularis and spiral ligament obtained by mechanical dissociation were cultivated and kept at 37 degrees C with maximal humidity in 5% CO2/95% air. The following culture media were used: E-MEM with hepes buffer (20 mmol/L), fetal calf serum (10%).

The normal activity of stria vascularis explants cultivated for 24 hours may maintain. There were no significant change in the structure features of stria vascularis between 24-hour group and control group. There were significant difference in the structure features between 72-hour group and control group. The stria vascularis of 72-hour group cannot be observed normal stria vascularis structure, the stria vascularis structure was loose, the marginal cells reached the border of the explant and they proliferated outside the explant. The marginal cells cultivated from the stria vascularis explant may be cultivated in cell-culture dishes for 13 days.

Our present results suggested that explant culture technique of cochlear strial marginal cells of guinea pigs has been successfully established. The stria vascularis cultivated for 24 hours which be maintained normal activity and structure features may be used for further investigation of drugs ototoxicity and the probable mechanisms.