Electrophysiological Studies on the Animals with Experimental Chronic Renal Failure

Abstract

It has been known that the sensorineural hearing loss is frequently observed in patients with renal failure. Because the hearing loss is influenced by many other factors, such as ototoxic drugs, genetic diseases, noise exposure, aging, diabetes and renal hemodialysis, it is difficult to determine whether the hearing loss directly relates to renal failure itself. The present experiment aims to investigate the relation between the hearing loss and renal failure. AP (N1), CM andEP were examined in 12 guinea pigs with renal failure produced by ligation of bilateral ureters. AP was abolished in 3 cases and decreased in amplitude in 4. The latency was prolonged in 3. CM was decreased in 4 and no response was obtained in 3. In all the magnitude of EP and its response to anoxia were normal. The effect of renal failure upon cochlea potentials was correlated with neglect factor (Creatinine +BUN/10). No pathological finding was observed in the cochlea by light microscopy. These results strongly suggest that these electrophysiological findings are due to the hair cell and/or neural damage, probably at the level of enzyme and metabolism.