Experimental study on the effects of gentamicin injection on the guinea-pig: electrophysiological studies

The inner ear distortion induced by gentamicin (GM), a type of aminoglycoside antibiotic, was examined in guinea-pigs. Previous studies which investigated the function of the eighth cranial nerve and organ of Corti using cochlear microphonics (CM) and compound action potential (CAP) reported ototoxicity following experimental exposure to GM. In this report, the effects of GM on the cochlea and the eighth cranial nerve were investigated systematically by measuring CM, CAP, summating potentials induced by 90 dB (SPL) tone burst, endocochlear potential (EP) and K+ ion concentration of the endolymph. Guinea-pigs were treated with a daily intramuscular injection of GM (60 mg in 1.5 cc) at a dose of 60 mg/kg during different treatment periods. The maximum output voltage of AP was decreased by injection of GM (60 mg/kg x 24). A decrease in the CM maximum output voltage and the elevation of CM pseudothreshold were typically seen after GM injection at a test frequency of 8 kHz and a decrease in CAP was also observed. Changes in EP during 3 min anoxia were observed, in particular a decrease in the absolute value of the negative potential. The endolymph K+ ion concentration remained unchanged. These findings indicate that the diffusion potentials decreased at the same time as reduction of maximum output voltage in CM induced by GM injection.