Guinea pigs implanted with round window electrodes received daily doses (2.
0 mg/kg) of cisplatin until a profound hearing loss occurred (> 40 dB at 8
kHz). Afterwards, pronounced recovery occurred. Recovery progressed over in
tervals up to 3 weeks before it saturated. Loss and recovery involved both
the compound action potential and, less pronounced, the cochlear microphoni
cs. Cochlear potentials evoked by lower frequencies recovered more fully th
an those evoked by higher frequencies. Loss and recovery was found also in
the endocochlear potential. Outer hair cell counts did not change over the
recovery period. These findings confirm our previously reported results on
the reversibility of cisplatin damage. Further, they implicate the vascular
stria as an important target for cisplatin in the cochlea. NeuroReport 11:
623-626 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.