BACKGROUND Injection into the inner ear through the round window (RW) or a cochleostomy is a reliable method for delivering drugs or viruses to the cochlea. This method has been less effective for fast deliveries to vestibular end organs. NEW METHOD We describe a novel approach for rapid delivery of drugs to the vestibular end organ via the oval window (OW) and scala vestibuli in 1-3 month old C57BL/6 mice. The OW was directly accessed through the external ear canal after ablating the tympanic membrane and middle ear ossicles. A canalostomy in the superior canal provided a low pressure point for faster transit of injected solution from the OW to the vestibular neuroepithelia, allowing for higher rates of injection. RESULTS The efficacy of this technique was shown by fast transit times of a colored artificial perilymph from the OW to the utricle and the ampullae of the horizontal and superior canals in ∼2 min. Following injection, the response of the vestibular nerve was preserved, as measured by the vestibular sensory evoked potentials (VsEP). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Previous studies have used posterior semicircular canals or the RW with canalostomy to gain access to vestibular end organs in mice. The OW with canalostomy, provides the means for high injection rates and fast and reliable delivery of drugs to vestibular hair cells and afferent terminals. CONCLUSIONS The presented method for injections through the OW provides rapid delivery of solutions to vestibular end organs without adversely affecting vestibular nerve responses measured by VsEP.

中文翻译：

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一种新颖的耳蜗内注射方法，可将药物快速递送至前庭端器官。

背景技术通过圆窗（RW）或耳蜗切开术向内耳注射是将药物或病毒递送至耳蜗的可靠方法。该方法对快速递送至前庭末端器官的效果较差。新方法我们描述了一种新的方法，用于在1-3个月大的C57BL / 6小鼠中通过卵形窗口（OW）和前庭sc骨将药物快速递送至前庭末端器官。消融鼓膜和中耳小骨后，可通过外耳道直接进入OW。上腔管的吻合口切开术为低压提供了一个低压点，使注射液从OW更快地转移到前庭神经上皮细胞，从而提高了注射速度。结果：彩色人工水淋巴在约2分钟内从OW到水平和上层运河的尿管和壶腹的快速渡越时间证明了该技术的有效性。注射后，通过前庭感觉诱发电位（VsEP）测量，保留前庭神经的反应。与现有方法的比较先前的研究已经使用后半圆形管或带管吻合术的RW来接触小鼠的前庭末端器官。带开肠吻合术的OW为高注射率和快速可靠地将药物输送到前庭毛细胞和传入末端提供了手段。结论所提出的通过OW注射的方法可将溶液快速递送至前庭终末器官，而不会不利地影响VsEP测量的前庭神经反应。