Intracellular Potential Changes of Corti's Organ With Anoxia

Intracellular measurements of the resting cell membrane potentials of guinea pig Corti's organ were made in order to determine the sensitivity of this cell potential to anoxic hypoxia (a lowered oxygen state due to lack of respiratory oxygen) and to establish differences according to cell types or morphologic regions of the sensory epithelium. The negative cell potentials measured from successful electrode penetrations were found to be relatively more stable and resistant to change during a 120-s period of anoxia than was the positive endocochlear potential. The intracellular resting potentials were also much slower to recover after resumption of respiration. Data obtained from various cells in two different regions of Corti's organ indicate that Corti's organ is receiving oxygen from both the perilymph and the endolymph. An iontophoretic dye-marking technique was used to label some experimental cells for later histologic identification.