Effects of salicylates and aminoglycosides on spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in the Tokay gecko

The high sensitivity and sharp frequency discrimination of hearing depend on mechanical amplification in the cochlea. To explore the basis of this active process, we examined the pharmacological sensitivity of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) in a lizard, the Tokay gecko. In a quiet environment, each ear produced a complex but stable pattern of emissions. These SOAEs were reversibly modulated by drugs that affect mammalian otoacoustic emissions, the salicylates and the aminoglycoside antibiotics. The effect of a single i.p. injection of sodium salicylate depended on the initial power of the emissions: ears with strong control SOAEs displayed suppression at all frequencies, whereas those with weak control emissions showed enhancement. Repeated oral administration of acetylsalicylic acid reduced all emissions. Single i.p. doses of gentamicin or kanamycin suppressed SOAEs below 2.6 kHz, while modulating those above 2.6 kHz in either of two ways. For ears whose emission power at 2.6–5.2 kHz encompassed more than half of the total, individual emissions displayed facilitation as great as 35-fold. For the remaining ears, emissions dropped to as little as one-sixth of their initial values. The similarity of the responses of reptilian and mammalian cochleas to pharmacological intervention provides further evidence for a common mechanism of cochlear amplification.