Abstract
Guinea pigs were exposed to a noise of con-stant intensity 4 months after the experimental production of endolymphatic hydrops in one ear and were examined morphometrically for the degree of atrophy and vascularity of the stria vascularis 1 to 3 months after noise ex-posure. In the animals assessed 1 and 2 months after noise exposure, there was no significant atrophy or diminished vascularity of the stria vascularis on the hydrops side in comparison with the control side.
However, 3 months after noise exposure there was significant atrophy and decreased vascu-larity of the stria vascularis on the hydrops side. Animals examined 3 months after noise exposure showed significantly more severe atro-phy of the stria vascularis than did those ex-amined 7 months after the production of endo-lymphatic hydrops but without prior noise ex-posure. In this study, we could produce ab-normalities in guinea pigs-i.e. atrophy and de-creased vascularity of the stria vascularis-simi-lar to those seen in the late stage of Meniere's disease by exposing to noise guinea pigs with endolymphatic hydrops. Microcirculatory dis-turbance of the stria vascularis might be one of the pathophysiological features of Meniere's disease.
