Background & Aims: It is known that unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) causes a syndrome of oculomotor, postural and autonomic system disorders, which diminish over time in a process of behavioral recovery known as vestibular compensation (VC). The problem of VC remains one of the actual tasks of modern neuroscience, directly associate with recovery of vestibular nucleus activity on the injured side. However its central mechanisms are not completely uncovered yet. In the unilaterally labyrinthectomized albino rats the effect of cobra venom on activity of lateral vestibular neurons and its protective action in combination with GABA was studied.

Materials and methods: Experiments were carried out on six groups of rats: normal, unilaterally labyrinthectomized (UL), UL with administration of Naja Naja Oxiana (NOX) venom (5% LD50, 21µg/kg, im), normal with combination of GABA (2 mg/kg, im), UL with combination of GABA and UL with administration of NOX venom and GABA injection. Electrophysiological patterns of lateral vestibular nucleus neurons at 9^th day after the UL in response to stimulation of paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of hypothalamus in all groups were studied.

Results: The increasing of inhibitory and excitatory reactions of Deiters’ neurons at early stage of vestibular compensation following NOX injection and reaching the norm at late stage was revealed. Administration of GABA resulted in depression of activity in normal and UL groups.

Conclusion: The cobra venom not only causes acceleration of vestibular compensation but also prevents the depressive effects of GABA on Deiters’ neurons.