The effects of moderate and low levels of acoustic overstimulation on stereocilia and their tip links in the guinea pig

Understanding Self-reported Hearing Disability in Adults With Normal Hearing

OBJECTIVES

Despite a diagnosis of normal hearing, many people experience hearing disability (HD) in their everyday lives. This study assessed the ability of a number of demographic and auditory variables to explain and predict self-reported HD in people regarded as audiologically healthy via audiometric thresholds.

DESIGN

One-hundred eleven adults (ages 19 to 74) with clinically normal hearing (i.e., audiometric thresholds ≤25 dB HL at all octave and interoctave frequencies between 0.25 and 8 kHz and bilaterally symmetric hearing) were asked to complete the 12-item version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12) as a measure of self-reported HD. Patient history and a number of standard and expanded measures of hearing were assessed in a multivariate regression analysis to predict SSQ12 score. Patient history included age, sex, history of noise exposure, and tinnitus. Hearing-related measures included audiometry at standard and extended high frequencies, word recognition, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and FM detection threshold.

RESULTS

History of impulse noise exposure, speech-intelligibility index, and FM detection threshold accurately predicted SSQ12 and were able to account for 40% of the SSQ12 score. These three measures were also able to predict whether participants self-reported HD with a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 86%.

CONCLUSIONS

Although participant audiometric thresholds were within normal limits, higher thresholds, history of impulse noise exposure, and FM detection predicted self-reported HD.

Distinct roles of stereociliary links in the nonlinear sound processing and noise resistance of cochlear outer hair cells

Outer hair cells (OHCs) play an essential role in hearing by acting as a nonlinear amplifier which helps the cochlea detect sounds with high sensitivity and accuracy. This nonlinear sound processing generates distortion products, which can be measured as distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). The OHC stereocilia that respond to sound vibrations are connected by three kinds of extracellular links: tip links that connect the taller stereocilia to shorter ones and convey force to the mechanoelectrical transduction channels, tectorial membrane-attachment crowns (TM-ACs) that connect the tallest stereocilia to one another and to the overlying TM, and horizontal top connectors (HTCs) that link adjacent stereocilia. While the tip links have been extensively studied, the roles that the other two types of links play in hearing are much less clear, largely because of a lack of suitable animal models. Here, while analyzing genetic combinations of tubby mice, we encountered models missing both HTCs and TM-ACs or HTCs alone. We found that the tubby mutation causes loss of both HTCs and TM-ACs due to a mislocalization of stereocilin, which results in OHC dysfunction leading to severe hearing loss. Intriguingly, the addition of the modifier allele modifier of tubby hearing 1 in tubby mice selectively rescues the TM-ACs but not the HTCs. Hearing is significantly rescued in these mice with robust DPOAE production, indicating an essential role of the TM-ACs but not the HTCs in normal OHC function. In contrast, the HTCs are required for the resistance of hearing to damage caused by noise stress.

Examining physiological and perceptual consequences of noise exposure

The consequences of noise exposure on the auditory system are not entirely understood. In animals, noise exposure causes selective synaptopathy-an uncoupling of auditory nerve fibers from sensory cells-mostly in fibers that respond to high sound levels. Synaptopathy can be measured physiologically in animals, but a direct relationship between noise exposure and synaptopathy in humans has yet to be proven. Sources of variability, such as age, indirect measures of noise exposure, and comorbid auditory disorders, obfuscate attempts to find concrete relationships between noise exposure, synaptopathy, and perceptual consequences. This study adds to the ongoing effort by examining relationships between noise exposure, auditory brainstem response (ABR) amplitudes, and speech perception in adults of various ages and audiometric thresholds and a subset of younger adults with clinically normal hearing. Regression models including noise exposure, age, hearing thresholds, and sex as covariates were compared to find a best-fitting model of toneburst ABR wave I amplitude at two frequencies and word recognition performance in three listening conditions: background noise, time compression, and time compression with reverberation. The data suggest the possibility of detecting synaptopathy in younger adults using physiological measures, but that age and comorbid hearing disorders may hinder attempts to assess noise-induced synaptopathy.

Inner Hair Cell and Neuron Degeneration Contribute to Hearing Loss in a DFNA2-Like Mouse Model

DFNA2 is a progressive deafness caused by mutations in the voltage-activated potassium channel KCNQ4. Hearing loss develops with age from a mild increase in the hearing threshold to profound deafness. Studies using transgenic mice for Kcnq4 expressed in a mixed background demonstrated the implication of outer hair cells at the initial phase. However, it could not explain the last phase mechanisms of the disease. Genetic backgrounds are known to influence disease expressivity. To unmask the cause of profound deafness phenotype, we backcrossed the Kcnq4 knock-out allele to the inbred strain C3H/HeJ and investigated inner and outer hair cell and spiral ganglion neuron degeneration across the lifespan. In addition to the already reported outer hair cell death, the C3H/HeJ strain also exhibited inner hair cell and spiral ganglion neuron death. We tracked the spatiotemporal survival of cochlear cells by plotting cytocochleograms and neuronal counts at different ages. Cell loss progressed from basal to apical turns with age. Interestingly, the time-course of cell degeneration was different for each cell-type. While for outer hair cells it was already present by week 3, inner hair cell and neuronal loss started 30 weeks later. We also established that outer hair cell loss kinetics slowed down from basal to apical regions correlating with KCNQ4 expression pattern determined in wild-type mice. Our findings indicate that KCNQ4 plays differential roles in each cochlear cell-type impacting in their survival ability. Inner hair cell and spiral ganglion neuron death generates severe hearing loss that could be associated with the last phase of DFNA2.

Repair of traumatized mammalian hair cells via sea anemone repair proteins

Mammalian hair cells possess only a limited ability to repair damage after trauma. In contrast, sea anemones show a marked capability to repair damaged hair bundles by means of secreted repair proteins (RPs). Previously, it was found that recovery of traumatized hair cells in blind cavefish was enhanced by anemone-derived RPs; therefore, the ability of anemone RPs to assist recovery of damaged hair cells in mammals was tested here. After a 1 h incubation in RP-enriched culture media, uptake of FM1-43 by experimentally traumatized murine cochlear hair cells was restored to levels comparable to those exhibited by healthy controls. In addition, RP-treated explants had significantly more normally structured hair bundles than time-matched traumatized control explants. Collectively, these results indicate that anemone-derived RPs assist in restoring normal function and structure of experimentally traumatized hair cells of the mouse cochlea.

Impact of Activities OF NA+,K+-Atpase and CA2+-Atpase in the Cochlear Lateral Wall on Recovery from Noise-Induced Temporary Threshold Shift

The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between the noise-induced temporary threshold shift (TTS) and the specific activities of sodium potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K+-ATPase) and calcium adenosine triphosphatase (Ca2+-ATPase) in the cochlear lateral wall. The specific activities of these enzymes were quantified by microcolorimetric assay. Changes in auditory brain stem response (ABR) thresholds were compared with the quantitative alterations of the specific activities of Na+,K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase in the cochlear lateral wall of guinea pigs with a noise-induced TTS. In the majority of those noise-exposed ears with complete recovery of ABR thresholds, the specific activities of both enzymes returned to at least 70% of the mean specific activity of the control group. Although other factors may be involved, reversible inactivation of Na+,K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase in the cochlear lateral wall may be one component of the TTS. Our present findings could drive further studies on the molecular basis of noise-induced hearing loss.

Proteomic identification of hair cell repair proteins in the model sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Sea anemones have an extraordinary capability to repair damaged hair bundles, even after severe trauma. A group of secreted proteins, named repair proteins (RPs), found in mucus covering sea anemones significantly assists the repair of damaged hair bundle mechanoreceptors both in the sea anemone Haliplanella luciae and the blind cavefish Astyanax hubbsi. The polypeptide constituents of RPs must be identified in order to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms by which repair of hair bundles is accomplished. In this study, several polypeptides of RPs were isolated from mucus using blue native PAGE and then sequenced using LC-MS/MS. Thirty-seven known polypeptides were identified, including Hsp70s, as well as many polypeptide subunits of the 20S proteasome. Other identified polypeptides included those involved in cellular stress responses, protein folding, and protein degradation. Specific inhibitors of Hsp70s and the 20S proteasome were employed in experiments to test their involvement in hair bundle repair. The results of those experiments suggested that repair requires biologically active Hsp70s and 20S proteasomes. A model is proposed that considers the function of extracellular Hsp70s and 20S proteasomes in the repair of damaged hair cells.

Noise-induced hearing loss: new animal models

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

This article presents research findings from two invertebrate model systems with potential to advance both the understanding of noise-induced hearing loss mechanisms and the development of putative therapies to reduce human noise damage.

RECENT FINDINGS

Work on sea anemone hair bundles, which resemble auditory hair cells, has revealed secretions that exhibit astonishing healing properties not only for damaged hair bundles, but also for vertebrate lateral line neuromasts. We present progress on identifying functional components of the secretions, and their mechanisms of repair. The second model, the Johnston's organ in Drosophila, is also genetically homologous to hair cells and shows noise-induced hearing loss similar to vertebrates. Drosophila offers genetic and molecular insight into noise sensitivity and pathways that can be manipulated to reduce stress and damage from noise.

SUMMARY

Using the comparative approach is a productive avenue to understanding basic mechanisms, in this case cellular responses to noise trauma. Expanding study of these systems may accelerate identification of strategies to reduce or prevent noise damage in the human ear.

Division of the stapedial tendon results in noise-induced damage to the inner ear

Background

The effect of division of the stapedial tendon on susceptibility to noise-induced inner ear damage has not been previously studied. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of noise exposure following division of the stapedial tendon in guinea pigs.

Material/Methods

Ten adult albino guinea pigs were used. The stapedial tendon of each right ear was cut. The stapedial tendon in each left ear was left intact and these ears served as a control group. DPOAEs and ABR tests were performed before and 10 days after noise exposure. The animals were exposed to a 110-dB noise stimulus for 6 h in a silent room a week after surgery. Cochleas of the animals were removed, and inner and outer hair cells were examined under a light microscope.

Results

We found that noise exposure adversely affected DPOAE measurements at all frequencies except 2 KHz in experimental ears. Noise exposure also produced significantly elevated ABR thresholds in experimental ears at 2, 4, 8, and 16 KHz. On histopathological examination, we found a significantly greater prevalence of apoptotic cells in the experimental ears.

Conclusions

Based on these findings, we can conclude that after division of the stapedial tendon, noise exposure may cause damage to the inner ear. This is the first study in the English literature that demonstrates the potential protective effect of the stapedial tendon against acoustic damage.

Biophysical mechanisms underlying outer hair cell loss associated with a shortened tectorial membrane

The tectorial membrane (TM) connects to the stereociliary bundles of outer hair cells (OHCs). Humans with an autosomal dominant C1509G mutation in alpha-tectorin, a protein constituent of the TM, are born with a partial hearing loss that worsens over time. The Tecta(C1509/+) transgenic mouse with the same point mutation has partial hearing loss secondary to a shortened TM that only contacts the first row of OHCs. As well, Tecta(C1509G/+) mice have increased expression of the OHC electromotility protein, prestin. We sought to determine whether these changes impact OHC survival. Distortion product otoacoustic emission thresholds in a quiet environment did not change to 6 months of age. However, noise exposure produced acute threshold shifts that fully recovered in Tecta (+/+) mice but only partially recovered in Tecta(C1509G/+) mice. While Tecta(+/+) mice lost OHCs primarily at the base and within all three rows, Tecta(C1509G/+) mice lost most of their OHCs in a more apical region of the cochlea and nearly completely within the first row. In order to estimate the impact of a shorter TM on the forces faced by the stereocilia within the first OHC row, both the wild type and the heterozygous conditions were simulated in a computational model. These analyses predicted that the shear force on the stereocilia is ~50% higher in the heterozygous condition. We then measured electrically induced movements of the reticular lamina in situ and found that while they decreased to the noise floor in prestin null mice, they were increased by 4.58 dB in Tecta(C1509G/+) mice compared to Tecta(+/+) mice. The increased movements were associated with a fourfold increase in OHC death as measured by vital dye staining. Together, these findings indicate that uncoupling the TM from some OHCs leads to partial hearing loss and places the remaining coupled OHCs at higher risk. Both the mechanics of the malformed TM and the increased prestin-related movements of the organ of Corti contribute to this higher risk profile.

Auditory and vestibular hair cell stereocilia: relationship between functionality and inner ear disease

The stereocilia of the inner ear are unique cellular structures which correlate anatomically with distinct cochlear functions, including mechanoelectrical transduction, cochlear amplification, adaptation, frequency selectivity and tuning. Their function is impaired by inner ear stressors, by various types of hereditary deafness, syndromic hearing loss and inner ear disease (e.g. Ménière's disease). The anatomical and physiological characteristics of stereocilia are discussed in relation to inner ear malfunctions.

Divergence of noise vulnerability in cochleae of young CBA/J and CBA/CaJ mice

CBA/CaJ and CBA/J inbred mouse strains appear relatively resistant to age- and noise-related cochlear pathology, and constitute the predominant 'good hearing' control strains in mouse studies of hearing and deafness. These strains have often been treated as nearly equivalent in their hearing characteristics, and have even been mixed in some studies. Nevertheless, we recently showed that their trajectories with regard to age-associated cochlear pathology diverge after one year of age (Ohlemiller et al., 2010a). We also recently reported that they show quite different susceptibility to cochlear noise injury during the 'sensitive period' of heightened vulnerability to noise common to many models, CBA/J being far more vulnerable than CBA/CaJ (Fernandez et al., 2010 J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 11:235-244). Here we explore this relation in a side-by-side comparison of the effect of varying noise exposure duration in young (6 week) and older (6 month) CBA/J and CBA/CaJ mice, and in F1 hybrids formed from these. Both the extent of permanent noise-induced threshold shifts (NIPTS) and the probability of a defined NIPTS were determined as exposure to intense broadband noise (4-45 kHz, 110 dB SPL) increased by factors of two from 7 s to 4 h. At 6 months of age the two strains appeared very similar by both measures. At 6 weeks of age, however, both the extent and probability of NIPTS grew much more rapidly with noise duration in CBA/J than in CBA/CaJ. The 'threshold' exposure duration for NIPTS was <1.0 min in CBA/J versus >4.0 min in CBA/CaJ. F1 hybrid mice showed both NIPTS and hair cell loss similar to that in CBA/J. This suggests that dominant-acting alleles at unknown loci distinguish CBA/J from CBA/CaJ. These loci have novel effects on hearing phenotype, as they come into play only during the sensitive period, and may encode factors that demarcate this period. Since the cochlear cells whose fragility defines the early window appear to be hair cells, these loci may principally impact the mechanical or metabolic resiliency of hair cells or the organ of Corti.

The involvement of arl-5b in the repair of hair cells in sea anemones

The subcellular processes involved in repair of hair cells are not well understood. Sea anemones repair hair bundle mechanoreceptors on their tentacles after severe trauma caused by 1-h exposure to calcium-depleted seawater. Repair is dependent on the synthesis and secretion of large protein complexes named "repair proteins." A cDNA library on traumatized anemone tissue was probed using polyclonal antibodies raised to a specific chromatographic fraction of the repair protein mixture. An ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein, Arl-5b, was identified. The amino acid sequence of the Arl-5b protein in sea anemones is similar to that among several model vertebrates and humans. A polyclonal antibody raised to a peptide of the anemone Arl-5b labels some but not all hair bundles in healthy control animals. The abundance of labeled hair bundles significantly increases above healthy controls after trauma and continuing through the first hour of recovery. Dilute anti-Arl-5b blocks the spontaneous repair of hair bundle mechanoreceptors, suggesting that Arl-5b acts on the extracellular face of the plasma membrane. Immunoelectron microscopy indicates that Arl-5b is located along the length of stereocilia including sites in the vicinity of tip links. We propose that Arl-5b is involved in installing replacement linkages into damaged hair bundle mechanoreceptors.

Anatomical and functional recovery of the goldfish (Carassius auratus) ear following noise exposure

Fishes can regenerate lateral line and inner ear sensory hair cells that have been lost following exposure to ototoxic antibiotics. However, regenerative capabilities following noise exposure have not been explored in fish. Moreover, nothing is known about the functional relationship between hair cell damage and hearing loss, or the time course of morphological versus functional recovery in fishes. This study examines the relationship between hair cell damage and physiological changes in auditory responses following noise exposure in the goldfish (Carassius auratus). Goldfish were exposed to white noise (170 dB re. 1 muPa RMS) for 48 h and monitored for 8 days after exposure. Auditory thresholds were determined using the auditory evoked potential technique, and morphological hair cell damage was analyzed using phalloidin and DAPI labeling to visualize hair cell bundles and nuclei. A TUNEL assay was used to identify apoptotic cells. Following noise exposure, goldfish exhibited a significant temporary threshold shift (TTS; ranging from 13 to 20 dB) at all frequencies tested (from 0.2-2 kHz). By 7 days post-exposure, goldfish hearing recovered significantly (mean TTS<4 dB). Increased apoptotic activity was observed in the saccules and lagenae between 0 and 2 days post-exposure. Immediately after noise exposure, the central and caudal regions of saccules exhibited significant loss of hair bundles. Hair bundle density in the central saccule recovered by the end of the experiment (8 days post-exposure) while bundle density in the caudal saccule did not return to control levels in this time frame. These data demonstrate that goldfish inner ear epithelia show damage following noise exposure and that they are capable of significant regenerative responses similar to those seen following ototoxic drug treatment. Interestingly, functional recovery preceded morphological recovery in the goldfish saccule, suggesting that only a subset of hair cells are necessary for normal auditory responses, at least to the extent that hearing was measured in this study.

Frequency-specific cochlear damage in guinea pig after exposure to different types of realistic industrial noise

For the causal evaluation of occupational hearing damage it is important to identify definitely the noise source. Here we tested, whether recordings of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) in awake guinea pigs can distinguish the effects of different industrial noises. Six groups of 12 animals each were investigated before and over four months after a single 2 h exposure to specific, played-back industrial noise as well as before and for 2 months after impulse noise exposure. We compared broadband noise (buzz saw, bottle washing machine), low frequency noise (drawing press), and mid-frequency noise (bottle filling machine). All animals had stable DPOAE levels before noise exposure. Frequency specific decreases in DPOAEs were found after exposure to the different noises. Broadband noise diminished mostly all frequencies tested, whereas low- or mid-frequency noise had a greater effect on DPOAE evoked by middle and higher frequencies, respectively. DPOAE evoked by middle and higher frequencies were obliterated after impulse noise. Morphological analysis of the cochleae confirmed these alterations. OHC loss was found in the middle turns of the cochleae corresponding to the diminution of DPOAE. We conclude that different kinds of industrial noise tend to produce typical changes in DPOAE levels.

Evidence and implications of inhomogeneity in tectorial membrane elasticity

The motion of the tectorial membrane (TM) with respect to the reticular lamina subserves auditory function by bending the outer hair cell bundles and inducing fluid flows that shear the inner hair bundles in response to sound energy. Little is currently known about its intrinsic elasticity or about the relation between the mechanical properties and function of the membrane. Here we subdivide the TM into three longitudinal regions and five radial zones and map the shear modulus of the TM using atomic force microscopy, and present evidence that the TM elasticity varies radially, after the distribution of type A collagen fibrils. This is seen most dramatically as a decrease in shear modulus in the neighborhood of the sensory hair cells; we argue that this inhomogeneity of properties not only protects the hair bundles but also increases the energy efficiency of the vibrational shearing during sound transduction.

Changes of Hair Cell Stereocilia and Threshold Shift after Acoustic Trauma in Guinea Pigs: Comparison between Inner and Outer Hair Cells

The vulnerability of inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) to acoustic overstimulation is still controversially discussed. The present study was undertaken to investigate the vulnerability of IHCs and OHCs and the relation between chronological changes of auditory threshold shifts and stereocilia damages on IHCs and OHCs in guinea pigs after moderate acoustic trauma, caused by a single continuous exposure to pink noise (20 Hz to 20 kHz) of around 106 +/- 2 dB SPL for 44 h. Stereocilia changes and threshold shifts of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were assessed at regular intervals after noise exposure for 9 weeks. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the morphological changes of stereocilia as early as 1 day after noise exposure. The morphological changes included fused, bent, collapsed, and even missing stereocilia. These damages were more prominent on IHCs than on OHCs. The shift of ABR threshold was not parallel to the chronological change of the stereocilia on IHCs as well as OHCs. The elevation of the ABR threshold (40-60 dB SPL) was greatest on the 1st day after noise exposure, whereas the stereocilia showed the most damage 7 days after noise exposure. Combined with the results from previous studies, we conclude that moderate-level (around 105-110 dB) noise tends to induce more damage to the stereocilia of IHCs than of OHCs. Other damage (e.g., metabolic disturbance) than morphological damage of hair cell stereocilia may contribute partially to the hearing threshold shift induced by moderate acoustic overstimulation.

Influence of hearing sensitivity on mechano-electric transduction

This study examined the relation between the extent of permanent hearing loss and the change in a third-order polynomial transducer function (PTF) representing mechano-electric transduction (MET). Mongolian gerbils were exposed to noise for 1 to 128 h. A control group received no exposure. The cochlear microphonic (CM) was recorded from a round-window electrode and stapes velocity was recorded with a laser Doppler vibrometer in response to Gaussian noise. A nonlinear systems identification procedure provided the frequency-domain coefficients of the PTF and their associated coherence functions. In the control group, the PTF in the high frequencies was dominated by linear and cubic terms. In noise-exposed animals, the magnitude of these terms decreased with increasing threshold, suggesting a progressive decrease in the receptor currents through basal hair cells. Moreover, the linear coherence increased and the cubic coherence decreased, indicating that MET in the cochlear base became linear. In the low frequencies, noise exposure altered the group delay of the CM, demonstrating a redistribution of hair-cell currents. The low-frequency PTF was characterized by an increase in the contribution in the quadratic term. With increasing threshold, the slope of the PTF decreased and the saturation for positive CM was eliminated.

Rapid recovery of sensory function in blind cave fish treated with anemone repair proteins

Blind cave fish employ superficial neuromasts to detect currents [Baker, C.F. and J.C. Montgomery, J. Comp. Physiol. A 184 (1999) 519-527]. Briefly exposing fish to calcium-free water significantly reduces the ability of the fish to perform rheotaxis (i.e., to orient properly in currents). Spontaneous recovery to control levels of rheotaxis requires 9 days. However, if the fish are treated with fraction beta immediately after exposure to calcium-free water, recovery to control levels of rheotaxis occurs within 1.3 h, the first time point tested. Fraction beta is a chromatographic fraction of 'repair proteins' isolated from sea anemones. The benefits of fraction beta on restoring rheotaxis exhibit dose dependency with the minimum effective dose estimated at 1 ng/ml. Exogenously supplied ATP augments the efficacy of fraction beta. Such augmentation is abolished by PPADS, an inhibitor of purinoceptors. Immunocytochemistry confirms the presence of purinoceptors in superficial neuromasts. The present results suggest that 'repair proteins' obtained from anemones significantly augment intrinsic repair mechanisms in fish. Furthermore, the data obtained in the fish system strongly parallel our previously published findings on sea anemones, raising the possibility that mechanisms of hair bundle repair may be evolutionarily conserved.

Hair bundle motility induced by chemoreceptors in anemones

Most hair bundles are essentially fixed with respect to frequency specificity. However, hair bundles in sea anemones are dynamically tuned by actin-dependent changes in length. Tuning to low frequencies is accomplished by activation of chemoreceptors to N-acetylated sugars resulting in hair bundle elongation. We report here that following sugar-induced tuning of hair bundles, membrane currents reverse polarity in hair cells during unidirectional mechanical stimulation. Reversal in polarity of currents with sugar stimulation is inhibited if hair bundle elongation is blocked by pretreatment with cytochalasin D. A re-examination of morphological changes to hair bundles reveals a sugar-induced reorientation of stereocilia in addition to elongation with chemosensitization. In controls, hair bundles are noticeably twisted. With sugar stimulation stereocilia become oriented more parallel to the long axis of the hair bundle. This sugar-induced change in orientation is similarly inhibited by cytochalasin D pretreatment. Based on these results, we present a model wherein anemone hair bundle twisting serves as a built-in safety mechanism to preserve linkages likely to be subjected to potentially damaging tension during tuning. The twisted hair bundles can untwist while elongating to relieve excessive tension on extracellular linkages between stereocilia critical to mechanosensitivity.

NMDA receptor blockage protects against permanent noise-induced hearing loss but not its potentiation by carbon monoxide

While a clear role has been proposed for glutamate as a putative neurotransmitter at the inner hair cell type I spiral ganglion cell synapse, the possible role of excessive glutamate release in cochlear impairment and of NMDA receptors in such a process is uncertain. The present study compares the protective effects of (+)-MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist, and the relatively inactive isomer (-)-MK-801 against permanent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The study also asks whether (+)-MK-801 can protect against the NIHL potentiation by carbon monoxide (CO). Rats (n = 6) were exposed to 100-dB, 13.6-kHz octave-band noise for 2 h after receiving injection of (+)-MK-801 hydrogen maleate (1 mg/kg), (-)-MK-801 hydrogen maleate (1 mg/kg), or saline. Other groups of animals were exposed to the combination of noise and CO (1200 ppm) after receiving (+)-MK-801 or saline. Additional subjects received (+)-MK-801, saline or CO exposure alone. Compound action potential (CAP) threshold sensitivities were compared 4 weeks after the exposures. The results show significant protection by (+)-MK-801 against the permanent CAP threshold elevation induced by noise alone, but no protective effect of (-)-MK-801. (+)-MK-801 produced limited protection against threshold shifts induced by the combination of noise and CO. Outer hair cell (OHC) loss was not protected by (+)-MK-801 administration. The data suggest that NMDA receptor stimulation may play a role in NIHL resulting from fairly mild noise exposure. The data do not support a role for NMDA receptor stimulation in the potentiation of NIHL that results from simultaneous exposure to CO and noise.

Increased noise severity limits potentiation of noise induced hearing loss by carbon monoxide

This study evaluates the influence of noise intensity and duration on auditory dysfunction due to simultaneous exposure to noise and carbon monoxide (CO). Previous studies have demonstrated that CO potentiates noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). It is not known whether auditory dysfunction due to combined exposure parallels impairment due to noise alone. Based on the 5 dB exchange rate between noise intensity and exposure doubling time, equivalent noise exposure conditions were used. Long Evans hooded rats were divided into groups that received noise alone (95, 100 and 105 dB SPL), and noise plus CO (1200 ppm), for durations of 4, 2 and 1 h, respectively. Controls were exposed to air or CO alone. Thresholds were evaluated 4 weeks later using an electrophysiological endpoint, the compound action potential threshold. Results demonstrate that the 5 dB exchange rate is not conserved under the conditions and subjects used. Moreover, dysfunction due to combined exposure did not parallel dysfunction due to noise alone. Further, although an increase in exposure duration results in increased auditory dysfunction, no further potentiation of NIHL by CO is observed. This suggests that at increasing noise severity, dysfunction due to combined exposure is limited by impairment due to noise alone.

Vulnerability to noise-induced hearing loss in 'middle-aged' and young adult mice: a dose-response approach in CBA, C57BL, and BALB inbred strains

Vulnerability of the cochlea to noise-induced permanent threshold shifts (NIPTS) was examined in young adult (1-2 months) and 'middle-aged' (5-7 months) CBA/CaJ, C57BL/6J, and BALB/cJ inbred mice. For each age and strain, a dose-response paradigm was applied, whereby groups of up to 12 animals were exposed to intense broadband noise (110 dB SPL) for varying durations. Exposure durations reliably associated with <10% and >90% probability of a criterion amount of NIPTS (determined 2 weeks post-exposure) were identified, and the minimum NIPTS exposure and the slope of the dose-response relation were then derived by numerical modeling. For all three strains, young adult mice were more susceptible to NIPTS than older adults; That is, a shorter exposure was able to cause NIPTS in the younger mice. Strain comparisons revealed that C57 mice were more susceptible than CBAs in the older age group only. At both ages examined, however, BALB mice were most susceptible to NIPTS. When animals with a similar amount of NIPTS were compared, outer hair cell loss in the cochlear base was more widespread in the younger animals. BALB mice appear particularly susceptible to noise-induced outer hair cell loss throughout life. Our data suggest that the mechanism or site of noise injury differs between young adults and older adults, and may depend on genetic background. The finding that both BALB and C57 mice, which show pronounced age-related hearing loss, are also especially vulnerable to noise supports the notion that genes associated with age-related hearing loss often act by rendering the cochlea susceptible to insults.

Developmental and genetic audiogenic seizure models: behavior and biological substrates

Audiogenic seizure (AGS) models of developmental or genetic origin manifest characteristic indices of generalized seizures such as clonus or tonus in rodents. Studies of seizure-resistant strains in which AGS is induced by intense sound exposure during postnatal development provide models in which other neural abnormalities are not introduced along with AGS susceptibility. A critical feature of all AGS models is the reduction of neural activity in the auditory pathways from deafness during development. The initiation and propagation of AGS activity relies upon hyperexcitability in the auditory system, particularly the inferior colliculus (IC) where bilateral lesions abolish AGS. GABAergic and glutaminergic mechanisms play crucial roles in AGS, as in temporal lobe models of epilepsy, and participate in AGS modulatory and efferent systems including the superior colliculus, substantia nigra, basal ganglia and structures of the reticular formation. Catecholamine and indolamine systems also influence AGS severity. AGS models are useful for elucidating the underlying mechanisms for formation and expression of generalized epileptic behaviors, and evaluating the efficacy of modern treatment strategies such as anticonvulsant medication and neural grafting.

Tip-link integrity on chick tall hair cell stereocilia following intense sound exposure

Hair bundle tip links have been implicated in the process of hair cell transduction, and previous studies have shown that acoustic overstimulation or exposure to low calcium can disrupt them. Severed tip links would thus be expected to cause a loss in hair cell function. This study investigates the presence of tip links on chick tall hair cells at three exposure durations and three recovery durations. After 4, 24, or 48 h of exposure, and 24, 96, and 288 h of recovery, the basilar papilla was harvested and prepared for scanning electron microscopy. Photomicrographs of hair bundles from sound-exposed and age-matched control ears were obtained in regions of the papilla adjacent to the 'patch' lesion. The percentage of tip links present on these hair bundles was determined from the photomicrographs. After 4, 24, or 48 h of exposure, an average of 49%, 41.1% and 52% of the observed sensory hairs exhibited links. This was significantly lower than that seen in the control ears (71.2%). There also was a reliable recovery of tip links between 24 and 48 h of exposure. The recovery continued and by 24 h post exposure, tip links were present on 61.3% of the sensory hairs. At subsequent recovery intervals, the mean number of tip links on sound-exposed tall hair cells was statistically the same as seen on control cells. The results indicated a predictable loss in the number of tip links during the exposure and their restoration within a relatively short time after the exposure. This structural damage to the tall hair cell, and its recovery, could account for some of the loss and recovery of function in the auditory periphery of these sound-damaged chicks.

Long-term sound conditioning enhances cochlear sensitivity

Sound conditioning, by chronic exposure to moderate-level sound, can protect the inner ear (reduce threshold shifts and hair cell damage) from subsequent high-level sound exposure. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this protective effect, the present study focuses on the physiological changes brought on by the conditioning exposure itself. In our guinea-pig model, 6-h daily conditioning exposure to an octave-band noise at 85 dB SPL reduces the permanent threshold shifts (PTSs) from a subsequent 4-h traumatic exposure to the same noise band at 109 dB SPL, as assessed by both compound action potentials (CAPs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). The frequency region of maximum threshold protection is approximately one-half octave above the upper frequency cutoff of the exposure band. Protection is also evident in the magnitude of suprathreshold CAPs and DPOAEs, where effects are more robust and extend to higher frequencies than those evident at or near threshold. The conditioning exposure also enhanced cochlear sensitivity, when evaluated at the same postconditioning time at which the traumatic exposure would be delivered in a protection study. Response enhancements were seen in both threshold and suprathreshold CAPs and DPOAEs. The frequency dependence of the enhancement effects differed, however, by these two metrics. For CAPs, effects were maximum in the same frequency region as those most protected by the conditioning. For DPOAEs, enhancements were shifted to lower frequencies. The conditioning exposure also enhanced both ipsilaterally and contralaterally evoked olivocochlear (OC) reflex strength, as assessed using DPOAEs. The frequency and level dependence of the reflex enhancements were consistent with changes seen in sound-evoked discharge rates in OC fibers after conditioning. However, comparison with the frequency range and magnitude of conditioning-related protection suggests that the protection cannot be completely explained by amplification of the OC reflex and the known protective effects of OC feedback. Rather, the present results suggest that sound conditioning leads to changes in the physiology of the outer hair cells themselves, the peripheral targets of the OC reflex.

Latency alterations of the auditory brainstem response in audiogenic seizure-prone Long-Evans rats

Audiogenic seizure susceptibility in the normally seizure-resistant Long-Evans rat may result from altered processing in the auditory pathway. Representative waveform latencies of the auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were recorded to examine generator alterations at different levels of the auditory neuraxis. Male Long-Evans rats primed for audiogenic seizures (AGS) on PND 14 with a 10 kHz pure tone at 120 dB SPL for 8 min were tested for AGS on PND 28 with 120 dB SPL continuous white noise. Primed subjects displayed wild running culminating in clonic convulsions. Following behavioral testing at 4-6 months, vertex recordings of ABR waves Ia-VI were made in anesthetized subjects using pure tone stimulus bursts. AGS subjects showed marginally elevated ABR thresholds. Shorter ABR wave latencies were elicited in AGS subjects for peripheral and central auditory components with stimulus intensities above 50 dB PeSPL at 8 and 40 kHz. Interpeak intervals were reduced for waves Ia-V and III-V in AGS subjects. These results reveal that intense sound stimulation during a sensitive period of development later reduces processing time at higher intensity levels.

Differentiation of cochlear pathophysiology in ears damaged by salicylate or a pure tone using a nonlinear systems identification technique

Mongolian gerbils were exposed to either alpha-ketoglutarate, salicylate, or an 8-kHz pure tone. Cochlear microphonic (CM) was recorded from the round window in response to 68 and 88 dB SPL Gaussian noise. A nonlinear systems identification technique provided the frequency-domain parameters of a third-order polynomial model characterizing cochlear mechano-electric transduction (MET). A series of physiologic indices were derived from further exploration of the model. Exposure to the 8-kHz pure tone and round window application of salicylate resulted in different changes in the polynomial parameters and physiologic indices even though the threshold shifts were similar. A general reduction of CM magnitude was found after the tone exposure, and an increase at low-mid frequencies was demonstrated in the salicylate group especially at the lower signal level. The slope of the MET curve was reduced by the acoustic overstimulation. The root or the operating point of the MET was shifted in opposite directions after the two treatments. Sound-pressure levels that saturate MET expanded in the tone exposure group and narrowed in the salicylate group. The signal level also had effects on these indices.