There are many hypotheses regarding macrophage functions. The purpose of this study was to elucidate macrophage functions in the endolymphatic sac with endolymphatic hydrops. Thirty-one Hartley guinea pigs were immunized with rabbit stria vascularis in Freund's complete adjuvant, and 13 guinea pigs were inoculated with anaphylatoxin via the carotid artery. We observed and counted macrophages in the whole endolymphatic sac. Some of the immunized animals showed endolymphatic hydrops, and these endolymphatic sac did not contain more macrophages than in the control animals. The immune functions of macrophages in the endolymphatic sac may play an important role but we surmised these macrophages were directly unrelated to the endolymphatic hydrops.
