Cochlear efferent neurones and protection against acoustic trauma: protection of outer hair cell receptor current and interanimal variability.

We have measured the changes in neural and microphonic sensitivity in the basal turn of the guinea-pig cochlea produced by intense acoustic overstimulation (10 kHz, 115 dB SPL for 60 s and 150 s). As reported previously, the drop in neural and microphonic sensitivities observed after overstimulation were highly correlated [Patuzzi et al. (1989) Hear. Res. 39, 189-202]. Presentation of a non-traumatizing pure-tone to the contralateral ear (10 kHz, 80 dB SPL) during acoustic overstimulation reduced the amount of acoustic trauma measured using the neural response or the microphonic response. Transection of the medial olivo-cochlear system of efferent fibres at the floor of the fourth ventricle abolished this protective effect of contralateral sound and dramatically reduced the variability in the data. Since the low-frequency microphonic is a simple measure of the receptor current through the outer hair cells, and this current probably plays a part in enhancing the mechanical sensitivity of the cochlea, the protection of the microphonic we have observed suggests that the efferent system protects neural sensitivity by protecting the mechano-electrical transduction of outer hair cells. The drop in variability after sectioning the efferents also suggests that inter-animal variations in susceptibility to noise trauma may be a consequence of differing tonic activity of the efferents, and/or a variation in the sensitivity of the efferent pathway.