title: Middle ear procaine injection before surgical labyrinthectomy reduces nystagmus.
abstract: A middle ear injection of 2% procaine (0.1 ml) was given to guinea-pigs 15-30 min before a surgical unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) and the effects on spontaneous ocular nystagmus (SN) were observed. The pre-UL injection of procaine significantly reduced SN frequency compared to vehicle-injected controls or to animals receiving a post-UL injection of procaine. This result supports the hypothesis that the decrease in resting activity observed in vestibular nucleus neurones following UL may be due, at least in part, to Ca2+ influx due to injury-related glutamate release from vestibular nerve terminals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Darlington
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000601:surgery*; D004432:Ear, Middle; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007267:Injections; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011343:Procaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011343:Procaine