Response of the endolymphatic sac in the guinea pig to neomycin ototoxicity.

The guinea pig provides an excellent model for studying the effects of ototoxic antibiotics on the epithelium of the endolymphatic sac (ELS). Intracochlear injection of neomycin produces consistent destruction of cochlear and vestibular sensory cells, and the response to this traumatic insult can be documented by light and electron microscopy of the ELS. The histologic findings suggest that ELS epithelial cells are relatively resistant to ototoxic levels of neomycin. The study confirms the ability of the ELS to increase its activity during periods of labyrinthine stress.