Prolonged maintenance of endocochlear potential by vascular perfusion with media devoid of oxygen carriers.

A method is described for maintaining the cochlear potentials of the guinea pig via arterial perfusion of the surviving inner ear with an artificial medium devoid of oxygen carriers or oncotic agents. The endocochlear potential (EP) can be maintained at a normal level for periods in excess of 5 h; the responses of the EP to anoxia and to furosemide closely approximate those seen in the intact animal. This preparation may represent a simplified method for carrying out selected arterial perfusion experiments in the surviving inner ear.