[Changes of glucose uptake in vestibular and auditory nuclei induced by high perilymphatic potassium ion concentration--autoradiographic study].

Characteristic nystagmus could be provoked by introducing potassium ion into the unilateral perilymphatic space of healthy guinea pigs. At first, irritative nystagmus appeared for some time to the K+ introduced ear side, and then, it was followed by paralytic nystagmus which directed to the non introduced ear side. During this experiment, the excitabilities of the vestibular nuclei and the central auditory nuclei were investigated by [14C] deoxyglucose method. In the period of "irritative nystagmus", the increment of glucose uptake in the ipsilateral vestibular nucleus, especially in the superior, median and inferior part, was noticed more significantly than the contralateral vestibular nucleus. On the other hand, the period of "paralytic nystagmus" showed the significant increment of glucose uptake in all parts of the contralateral vestibular nucleus. As to the excitability of the central auditory nuclei, the significant decrement of glucose uptake, which was noticed in all periods of this experiment, was predominant in the ipsilateral cochlear nucleus and other superior auditory nuclei of the contralateral side.