Effects of kanamycin on cochlear nuclear evoked responses and behavioral responses in C57BL/6J mice

The effect of kanamycin on auditory function was investigated in C57BL/6J mice. Results showed that kanamycin treatments (400 mg/kg/day, injected between 10 to 13 days of age) caused severe cochlear damage, particularly to the outer hair cells, and elevation of cochlear nucleus evoked-response thresholds. The treatment also rendered the treated animals susceptible to audiogenic seizures, suggesting a change in the animals' reactivity to intense sounds. However, unlike the effect of noise, exposure to kanamycin did not cause the treated animals to show abnormal augmentation of cochlear nucleus evoked-response amplitude when stimulated at high intensities.