Complement is known to relate to many inflammatory reactions, and some fragments or complexes of its components cause various types of inflammatory reactions. C3a and C5a, known as anaphylatoxins, cause strong inflammatory reactions, although they are unrelated with anaphylaxis caused by IgE immunoglobulin. In this study, we examined the role of anaphylatoxins played in the cochlea. We made anaphylatoxins from guinea pig serum plus zymosan. Twenty male Hartley guinea pigs weighting 300-400 gr susceptible to Preyer's reflex were used in this study. Guinea pig serum plus zymosan plus ε-aminocaproic acid were innoculated into the carotic artery of ten guinea pigs (Hartley strain). Guinea pig serum plus ε-aminocaproic acid, as control, were injected (ten guinea pigs). In this experiment, guinea pig's stria vascularis in the various cochlear turns except cochlear basal turn were extremely atrophied and mild endolymphatic hydrops was observed. These results suggested that endolymphatic hydrops and other inner ear diseases were closely related with anaphylatoxins.
