Ultrastructural damage of the organ of Corti induced by intense infrasound in guinea pigs

Objective To study the ultrastructural changes of the organ of Corti induced by infrasound in guinea pigs. Methods Twenty albino guinea pigs were randomly divided into four groups. Fifteen guinea pigs were exposed to 8 Hz infrasound of 135 dB SPL for 90 minutes and sacrificed at 2 hours, 2 days and 7 days, respectively, after infrasound exposure. The remaining five animals served as a control group. Results The ultrastructure of the inner ear was damaged to different extent. The number of outer hair cells (OHCs) of the organ of Corti decreased significantly in all experimental groups. Focal or scattered OHC losses and / or disorganized stereocilia of OHCs were found from the basal to third cochlear turns, compared with the control group. Conclusion High-level infrasound can cause damage to the inner ear of guinea pigs.