Alteration of the Calcium Content in Inner Hair Cells of the Cochlea of the Guinea Pig after Acute Noise Trauma with and without Application of the Organic Calcium Channel Blocker Diltiazem

Calcium ions are known to be important to the process of signal transduction across the apical and basal sides of the inner hair cells. Calcium channel antagonists have been demonstrated by light microscopy to provide protection against acoustic trauma. To evaluate the protective effect of calcium channel blocker on the inner ear cells to noise exposure, the amount of the histochemical reaction products formed in the cytoplasm of the inner hair cells of the guinea pig after application of pyroantimonate was measured by an image processing system connected to an energy-filtering transmission electron microscope (EFTEM). Compared to untreated control specimens (experimental animal group I) th…