Intensity-related changes in cochlear blood flow in the guinea pig during and following acoustic exposure

This study examined the effects of acoustic exposure at different intensities on cochlear blood flow (CBF) using laser Doppler flowmetry. CBF was measured in anesthetized guinea pigs exposed to either a 10 kHz pure tone at 125, 105, or 90 dB SPL, or wide-band noise at 85 dB SPL for 1 h. Mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were recorded continuously. Arterial acid-base status, cochlear temperature, cochlear microphonics (CM), and compound action potentials (CAP) were measured before and after exposure. There was a small, but significant, steady decline in basal CBF after 40 min loud sound exposure (125 dB SPL), but no change in basal CBF occurred with the lower intensities (85-105 dB SPL). In contrast, there was a significant increase in apical CBF after 1 h exposure to either moderate wideband noise (85 dB SPL) or a 10 kHz tone at 105 dB SPL. These changes persisted during a 20-min post-exposure period. In most cases, the cochlear temperature and cardiorespiratory variables monitored remained unchanged during and after the exposures as compared to the controls. CM and CAP amplitudes showed extensive losses after acoustic overstimulation (125 dB SPL), but no permanent changes were found at the lower intensities used. The present findings confirm the occurrence of intensity-related effects of acoustic exposure on the cochlear microcirculation.