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Abstract
The base of the cochlea is more vulnerable to trauma than the apex as seen in the
pattern of hair cell damage by cisplatin or aminoglycosides. The differential vulnerability
is maintained in organotypic cultures exposed directly to these drugs, suggesting
there may be an intrinsic difference in sensitivity to damage along the cochlear spiral.
We therefore investigated the survival capacity of isolated outer hair cells and strips
dissected from different turns of the guinea pig organ of Corti in short-term culture.
Cells were stained with fluorescent indicators of viable or dead cells, calcein-AM
and ethidium homodimer. After 5 h at room temperature, up to 90% of outer hair cells
from the apex survived, but less than 30% from the base. In contrast, basal inner
hair cells remained viable, and supporting cells survived for at least 20 h. The difference
in survival capacity between basal and apical outer hair cells coincided with a significantly
lower level of the antioxidant glutathione in basal outer hair cells compared with
apical outer hair cells. This suggested that basal outer hair cells may be more vulnerable
to free-radical damage than apical outer hair cells. The survival of basal outer hair
cells was significantly improved by addition of the radical scavengers n-acetyl cysteine,
p-phenylenediamine, glutathione, mannitol or salicylate. The protection by antioxidants
implies that the accelerated death of basal outer hair cells is due to free-radical
damage. The results support an intrinsic susceptibility to free radicals that differs
among cochlear cell populations. This differential provides a rational explanation
for base-to-apex gradients observed in various forms of cochlear pathology.