Degenerative alterations in the ventral cochlear nucleus of the guinea pig after impulse noise exposure

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Abstract
Guinea pigs were exposed to the noise of 40 shots of an alarm pistol held at a distance of about 60 cm. The ventral cochlear nuclei were studied in phase contrast and electron microscopy after both short survival periods and longer periods of up to 55 days survival. Marked degeneration of primary cochlear nerve endings and of synapting secondary neurons of the posterior caudal part of the ventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) and the octopus cell area (OCA) of the posterior ventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN) was found most distinctly after 5–55 days. As criteria of degeneration of the second neuron of the afferent auditory pathway we used: The loss of the synapting nerve endings, mainly “shrinking”. The formation of huge mitochondria in the second order neurons and their dendrites. The phagocytosis by glial cells of nerve endings, of the second order neurons and of their dendrites. After 5 days survival time no distinct changes were found in the granular cell area of PVCN, where as all stages of degeneration could be found in OCA at this time. In the discussion of these findings it is concluded that additional studies of the morphology of the cochlear nuclei seem necessary, as these may lead to a better understanding of the pathology of hearing following heavy noise exposure. Meerschweinchen wurden dem Impulsgeräusch von 40 Schüssen einer Startpistole ausgesetzt. Veränderungen in den akustischen Kernen wurden licht- und elektronenmikroskopisch untersucht. 5–55 Tage nach Schallexposition wurde Phagocytose an degenerierenden N. acusticus Endigungen und von Neuronen zweiter Ordnung beobachtet. Es werden verschiedene Hypothesen diskutiert, eine hinreichend überzeugende Erklärung für diese Veränderungen konnte jedoch nicht gefunden werden.