MDL 28170 Attenuates Gentamicin Ototoxicity

Prevention of noise-induced hearing loss by calpain inhibitor MDL-28170 is associated with upregulation of PI3K/Akt survival signaling pathway

Introduction

Noise-induced calcium overload in sensory hair cells has been well documented as an early step in the pathogenesis of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Alterations in cellular calcium homeostasis mediate a series of cellular events, including activation of calcium-dependent protein kinases and phosphatases. Using cell-membrane- and blood-brain-barrier-permeable calpain-1 (μ-calpain) and calpain-2 (m-calpain) inhibitor MDL-28170, we tested the involvement of calpains, a family of calcium-dependent cysteine proteases, and the potential of MDL-28170 in preventing NIHL.

Methods

CBA/J mice at the age of 12 weeks were exposed to broadband noise with a frequency spectrum from 2-20 kHz for 2 h at 101 dB sound pressure level to induce permanent hearing loss as measured by auditory brainstem response and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Morphological damage was assessed by quantification of remaining sensory hair cells and inner hair cell synapses 2 weeks after the exposure.

Results

MDL-28170 treatment by intraperitoneal injection significantly attenuated noise-induced functional deficits and cochlear pathologies. MDL-28170 treatment also prevented noise-induced cleavage of alpha-fodrin, a substrate for calpain-1. Furthermore, MDL-28170 treatment prevented reduction of PI3K/Akt signaling after exposure to noise and upregulated p85α and p-Akt (S473) in outer hair cells.

Discussion

These results indicate that noise-induced calpain activation negatively regulates PI3K/Akt downstream signaling, and that prevention of NIHL by treatment with MDL-28170 is associated with upregulation of PI3K/Akt survival signaling pathways.

Paraquat initially damages cochlear support cells leading to anoikis-like hair cell death

Paraquat (PQ), one of the most widely used herbicides, is extremely dangerous because it generates the highly toxic superoxide radical. When paraquat was applied to cochlear organotypic cultures, it not only damaged the outer hair cells (OHCs) and inner hair cells (IHCs), but also caused dislocation of the hair cell rows. We hypothesized that the dislocation arose from damage to the support cells (SCs) that anchors hair cells within the epithelium. To test this hypothesis, rat postnatal cochlear cultures were treated with PQ. Shortly after PQ treatment, the rows of OHCs separated from one another and migrated radially away from IHCs suggesting loss of cell-cell adhesion that hold the hair cells in proper alignment. Hair cells dislocation was associated with extensive loss of SCs in the organ of Corti, loss of tympanic border cells (TBCs) beneath the basilar membrane, the early appearance of superoxide staining and caspase-8 labeling in SCs below the OHCs and disintegration of E-cadherin and β-catenin in the organ of Corti. Damage to the TBCs and SCs occurred prior to loss of OHC or IHC loss suggesting a form of detachment-induced apoptosis referred to as anoikis.

Interaction of methylxanthines and gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: role of phosphodiesterase inhibition

Previous studies showed that methylxanthines increased the antimicrobial activity of gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, the effect of non-selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors (methylxanthines: aminophylline and caffeine) and partially selective PDE inhibitors, dipyridamole and sildenafil, was evaluated on the antimicrobial activity of gentamicin using checkerboard method. Aminophylline at concentrations of 0.5 and 1 mg/ml reduced the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentamicin (2 μg/ml) 2 and 4 times against S. aureus, and at concentrations of 0.5 and 2 mg/ml reduced the MIC of gentamicin (4 μg/ml) 2 and 4 times, respectively, against P. aeruginosa. Caffeine at concentrations of 1 and 2 mg/ml reduced the MIC of gentamicin (2 μg/ml) 4 and 32 times against S. aureus, and at concentrations of 0.12 and 2 mg/ml reduced the MIC of gentamicin (4 μg/ml) 2 and 4 times, respectively, against P. aeruginosa. However, dipyridamole and sildenafil (32 μg/ml) did not show any effect on MIC of gentamicin against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. These results suggest that methylxanthines could increase gentamicin effects against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa but this effect is not mediated by inhibition of PDE 5, 6, 8, 10 and 11.

Manganese is toxic to spiral ganglion neurons and hair cells in vitro

Occupational exposure to high atmospheric levels of Mn produces a severe and debilitating disorder known as manganism characterized by extrapyramidal disturbances similar to that seen in Parkinson's disease. Epidemiological and case studies suggest that persistent exposures to Mn may have deleterious effects on other organs including the auditory system and hearing. Mn accumulates in the inner ear following acute exposure raising the possibility that it can damage the sensory hair cells that convert sound into neural activity or spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) that transmit acoustic information from the hair cells to the brain via the auditory nerve. In this paper we demonstrate for first time that Mn causes significant damage to the sensory hair cells, peripheral auditory nerve fibers (ANF) and SGN in cochlear organotypic cultures isolated from postnatal day three rats. The peripheral ANF that make synaptic contact with the sensory hair cells were particularly vulnerable to Mn toxicity; damage occurred at concentrations as low 0.01 mM and increased with dose and duration of Mn exposure. Sensory hair cells, in contrast, were slightly more resistant to Mn toxicity than the ANF. Mn induced an atypical pattern of sensory cell damage; Mn was more toxic to inner hair cells (IHC) than outer hair cells (OHC) and in addition, IHC loss was relatively uniform along the length of the cochlea. Mn also caused significant loss and shrinkage of SGN soma. These findings are the first to demonstrate that Mn can produce severe lesions to both neurons and hair cells in the postnatal inner ear.

Cytotoxic effects of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) on cochlear organotypic cultures

The amphipathic molecule dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) is a solvent often used to dissolve compounds applied to the inner ear; however, little is known about its potential cytotoxic side effects. To address this question, we applied 0.1-6% DMSO for 24h to cochlear organotypic cultures from postnatal day 3 rats and examined its cytotoxic effects. DMSO concentrations of 0.1% and 0.25% caused little or no damage. However, concentrations between 0.5% and 6% resulted in stereocilia damage, hair cell swelling and a dose-dependent loss of hair cells. Hair cell damage began in the basal turn of the cochlea and spread towards the apex with increasing concentration. Surprisingly, DMSO-induced damage was greater for inner hair cells than outer hair cell whereas nearby supporting cells were largely unaffected. Most hair cell death was associated with nuclear shrinkage and fragmentation, morphological features consistent with apoptosis. DMSO treatment induced TUNEL-positive staining in many hair cells and activated both initiator caspase-9 and caspase-8 and executioner caspase-3; this suggests that apoptosis is initiated by both intrinsic mitochondrial and extrinsic membrane cell death signaling pathways.