[Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions in kanamycin-treated guinea pig cochlea]

Measurement of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) is widely accepted as one of the most valuable tools for evaluating the frequency of specific cochlear pathology. Previous studies have revealed that distortion-product levels in the ear canal are definitely correlated with degree of damage in the cochlea. However, there seem to be no clear data of help in predicting the distribution and grade of damage in the cochlea quantitatively on the basis of the results of this non-invasive test. The present study is designed to assess correlations between degree of outer hair cell (OHC) damage by a potent ototoxic antibiotic, kanamycin, and DPOAE levels at the characteristic frequency at the site. Guinea pigs were used after daily intramuscular administration of kanamycin for 7 or 10 days. DPOAE levels were measured using a system (CUBDIS: Etymotic Research) with 78 frequency combinations of iso-intensity primaries from 0.5kHz to 16kHz of f2. The frequency ratio (f2/f1) was set at 1.2. Distortion-product level plots versus f2 (DP-grams) were constructed. The integrity of the OHC system was evaluated histologically by the succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) method under a light microscope. Cochleograms were constructed by calculating percentages of intact OHCs along the basilar membrane in 1-mm blocks. The DP-grams and the histopathological cochleograms showed essentially identical patterns in the kanamycin-damaged guinea pig cochlea. The results suggest that: 1) The generation of DPOAE requires functioning OHCs. 2) DPOAE measurement provides information allowing prediction of OHC damage distribution in the cochlea without histological investigations. 3) Careful setting of primary levels and other parameters is necessary to reliably predict the pathology. 4) Attempts to detect of minimal OHC damage could fail. 5) DPOAE seem very useful for monitoring cochlear function in clinically.