Rapid disruption of cochlear function and structure by trimethyltin in the guinea pig

Trimethyltin (TMT) is a potent ototoxicant which acutely disrupts generation of the action potential evoked by a broad range of tone frequencies and subsequently produces selective high frequency impairment and outer hair cell (OHC) damage in the extreme basal turn of the cochlea. We investigated the development of TMT ototoxicity in the guinea pig 6-48 h following treatment using the compound action potential (CAP), cochlear microphonic (CM), endocochlear potential (EP) and light and electron microscopic examinations. At all time intervals studied, TMT reduced CAP sensitivity and CM amplitude. The effect was relatively broad across test frequencies at 6 h and subsequently became restricted to higher frequencies. No disruption of the EP was observed between 6 and 24 h following TMT. OHC pathology in the basal turn of the cochlea 12 h following TMT consisted of vacuolization in the supranuclear region and disruption of the cuticular plate; some mitochondria exhibited dark inclusions. Type 1 spiral ganglion cells appeared swollen at 24 h with separation of myelin from the cell bodies. No pathological changes were observed in the inner hair cells (IHC). The present data identify the OHC as targets responsible for the loss of CM sensitivity after TMT as the EP was unaffected. These data suggest that CAP and CM recovery at low and middle frequencies following acute TMT administration is accompanied by recovery of neurotransmission at the IHC or Type 1 SGC level and OHC recovery at apical regions of the cochlea.