Experimental Study on Auditory Disturbance due to Endotoxin

Part 1: Effect of General Administration

Abstract

Endotoxin, which is known to have various biological functions, has been detected in the effusion from the middle ear of patients with secretory otitis media. We infused endotoxin intraarterially to 26 guinea pigs, and examined the effect of endotoxin on the inner ear using auditory brainstem response (ABR) and oxygen partial pressure of the perilymph as parameters. The latency of each wave of ABR was prolonged. The prolongation of the latency of wave I and the I-II interpeak latency were remarkable. A decrease in the oxygen partial pressure of the perilymph was observed.