Primary culture of vital marginal cells from cochlear explants of the stria vascularis.

Explants of the stria vascularis and spiral ligament were dissected from guinea pig cochleae and were successfully cultivated for several weeks. After 2 days, fibroblast-like cells of the spiral ligament covered the bottom of the cell culture dish around the explant. Marginal cells of the stria vascularis proliferated and grew on the luminal surface towards the border of the explant at a rate of 15 microns/day. At day 6 in culture the proliferating marginal cells reached the border of the explant and then advanced to the bottom of the cell-culture dish. There the marginal cells replaced fibroblast-like cells and built an epithelial hexagonal-shaped monolayer. Light microscopic and transmission electron microscopic investigations revealed that the cultured cells were viable and that typical morphological characteristics of marginal cells were preserved. Cultivation of these cells provides a unique model for studies of physiological properties of marginal cells of the stria vascularis.