[Isolation of cochlear inner hair cells from guinea pigs by trypsin].

OBJECTIVE: To obtain isolated inner hair cells from guinea pigs by trypsin digestion and mechanical trituration. METHODS: The guinea pig was decapitated and the temporal bone was quickly removed. Then the lateral wall of the cochlea was removed. The organ of Corti was dissected out under a dissection microscope. Single hair cells were obtained by digestion with trypsin and gentle mechanical trituration. RESULTS: The isolated inner hair cells were observed under inverse microscope. Five to twenty single outer hair cells were obtained from each ear and most of them could survive for about 5 hours. CONCLUSION: This technique can provide sufficient numbers of solitary inner hair cells for studies on the electrophysiological properties of the cells.