Acoustic Stimulation Alters Deoxyglucose Uptake in the Mouse Cochlea and Inferior Colliculus

Deoxyglucose uptake and activities of hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphatase in auditory structures (organ of Corti, stria vascularis and spiral ligament, modiolar section of VIIIth nerve, inferior colliculus) and non-auditory tissues (heart, kidney, liver) of the mouse were analyzed. [3H]Deoxyglucose was given as a pulse into the tail vein and uptake was quantitated by microdissection of tissues and scintillation counting. Radioactivity in cochlear tissues was maximal after 45-60 min and declined with a half-life of 30-60 min. Deoxyglucose 6-phosphate represented ca. 60% of total radioactivity (heart, inferior colliculus, greater than 80%). The ratio of hexokinase to glucose-6-phosphatase activity was considerably lower in the auditory periphery than in brain. The rank order was inferior colliculus much greater than VIIIth nerve approximately equal to heart greater than stria vascularis and spiral ligament greater than kidney greater than organ of Corti approximately equal to liver. Exposure to broadband noise increased glucose utilization in all auditory structures. Uptake was maximally (2- to 3-fold) stimulated at moderate noise intensity (55-85 dBA). In addition, the auditory system showed two salient features: at high intensities (100 and 115 dBA) deoxyglucose uptake decreased from the maximum; and the non-sensory tissues of the cochlea (stria vascularis and spiral ligament) responded to sound parallel to the sensory structures at all levels of stimulus intensity. There were no effects of acoustic stimulation on serum glucose levels, serum kinetics of deoxyglucose, or deoxyglucose uptake into other body tissues.