Vestibular cytotoxicity in gentamicin-treated frogs: a preliminary report.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the immediate effects of intraperitoneal doses of gentamicin (GM) which would result in variable degrees of destruction of crista ampullary hair cells of frogs. This information will serve as a baseline guide to cell regeneration experiments on the damaged vestibular sense organ.

Study Design: The American bullfrog was administered daily intraperitoneal doses of 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg of GM for 7 days. Animals were sacrificed 1 day after the final injection for cytomorphic evaluation. Histologically processed posterior semicircular duct cristae were resin-embedded, and tissue samples were subjected to serial cross sectioning of the crista from the periphery to the central zone using glass knives in an ultramicrotome. Stained sections were analyzed in light microscope using ocular grid micrometry. The areal density of nuclear profiles of the vestibular sensory and supporting cells (sensory cells [SNCs] and supporting cells [SPCs], respectively; number per square millimeter) and the nuclear diameter of SNCs were manually determined.

Results: A 7-day administration of GM produced noticeable quantitative alteration of the posterior crista hair cells and SPCs. Histological analysis revealed a significant decrease in the density of SNCs and a concomitant increase in the density of SPCs (1-way analysis of variance).

Conclusion And Significance: The cytomorphic data derived from this study show that 4 doses of intraperitoneal gentamicin administered to the bullfrog caused a decline in the areal density of sensory hair cells of the posterior canal crista ampullaris. Also noted was an increase in the density of adjacent SPCs. Although speculative, the increase in SPC population could be a harbinger of regeneration of the vestibular hair cells as suggested by other investigators in different species. The significance of present observations will be helpful to initiate future studies related to recovery of SNCs in a similarly damaged frog ampullary organ. Through a standardized quantitative approach to the study of SNCs and SPCs of the crista organ, the vestibulo-toxicity of newly developed drugs can be assessed.