Membrane potential and response changes in mammalian cochlear hair cells during intracellular recording

Abstract

In the preceding paper (Dallos, P. (1985) J. Neurosci. 5: 1591-1608) some fundamental properties of cochlear inner and outer hair cells were considered. On the basis of intracellular recording from the low frequency region of the guinea pig cochlea, such measures as membrane potentials, the dependence of AC and DC receptor potential magnitude on stimulus level and frequency, and tuning characteristics relative to gross responses were discussed. During prolonged recording various changes in membrane and receptor potentials were observed. In the present paper the relationship between these variations is described and evaluated in the context of a simple hair cell model.