Objective: Our study examined the relationship between variant stereociliary bundles of cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) and auditory function to analyze assessment criteria for rotated stereociliary bundles in the guinea pig cochlea.
Methods: Auditory brainstem response and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) were recorded on 100 guinea pigs. Variant hair cells were identified and counted by scanning electron and light microscopy.
Results: The most common variation observed was rotation of stereociliary bundles in the first-row OHCs (OHC1), with most 13.3% variant OHC1 rotated 90 degrees and a few 2.5% rotated 180 degrees. Occasionally, the length and angle of the 2 arms of an OHC deviated from the norm. The auditory brainstem response threshold of affected animals increased only slightly, 20- to 30-dB sound pressure level. More importantly, amplitude of DPOAE increased significantly (40.5 dB sound pressure level).
Conclusion: Our study suggests that rotation of stereociliary bundles in the cochlear OHC was found to be prevalent in 28% of the animals. We established the assessment criteria for rotated stereociliary bundles that were more than 10% OHC1 rotated. This hair bundle seemed to be rotated by 90 degrees from the normal orientation and was accompanied with changes of auditory function. Increased amplitude of DPOAE is associated with the variation of rotated OHC that might result in hearing loss.