Contribution of cell culture to the study of the physiology of the stria vascularis and Reissner's membrane.

Cell culture is a well-established tool in cell biology which may overcome the limitations of the experimental methods currently used to investigate the physiology of labyrinthine fluids. Using explant and dissociated cell culture technique, sheets of oriented cells derived from the stria vascularis and Reissner's membrane may be obtained, which allows new experimental approaches such as the patch-clamp technique. Other experimental approaches are considered which might improve our understanding of inner ear physiology.