Wnt Signaling Protects against Paclitaxel-Induced Spiral Ganglion Neuron Damage in the Mouse Cochlea In Vitro

Current advances in biomaterials for inner ear cell regeneration

Inner ear cell regeneration from stem/progenitor cells provides potential therapeutic strategies for the restoration of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), however, the efficiency of regeneration is low and the functions of differentiated cells are not yet mature. Biomaterials have been used in inner ear cell regeneration to construct a more physiologically relevant 3D culture system which mimics the stem cell microenvironment and facilitates cellular interactions. Currently, these biomaterials include hydrogel, conductive materials, magneto-responsive materials, photo-responsive materials, etc. We analyzed the characteristics and described the advantages and limitations of these materials. Furthermore, we reviewed the mechanisms by which biomaterials with different physicochemical properties act on the inner ear cell regeneration and depicted the current status of the material selection based on their characteristics to achieve the reconstruction of the auditory circuits. The application of biomaterials in inner ear cell regeneration offers promising opportunities for the reconstruction of the auditory circuits and the restoration of hearing, yet biomaterials should be strategically explored and combined according to the obstacles to be solved in the inner ear cell regeneration research.

Glutathione Peroxidase 1 Protects Against Peroxynitrite-Induced Spiral Ganglion Neuron Damage Through Attenuating NF-κB Pathway Activation

Glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) is a crucial antioxidant enzyme that prevented the harmful accumulation of intra-cellular hydrogen peroxide. GPX1 might contribute in limiting cochlear damages associated with aging or acoustic overexposure, but the function of GPX1 in the inner ear remains unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of GPX1 on cochlear spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) against oxidative stress induced by peroxynitrite, a versatile oxidant generated by the reaction of superoxide anion and nitric oxide. Here, we first found that the expression of GPX1 in cultured SGNs was downregulated after peroxynitrite exposure. Then, the GPX1 mimic ebselen and the gpx1 knockout (gpx1^–/–) mice were used to investigate the role of GPX1 in SGNs treated with peroxynitrite. The pretreatment with ebselen significantly increased the survived SGN numbers, inhibited the apoptosis, and enhanced the expression of 4-HNE in the cultured SGNs of peroxynitrite + ebselen group compared with the peroxynitrite-only group. On the contrary, remarkably less survived SGNs, more apoptotic SGNs, and the higher expression level of 4-HNE were detected in the peroxynitrite + gpx1^–/– group compared with the peroxynitrite-only group. Furthermore, rescue experiments with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) showed that the expression of 4-HNE and the apoptosis in SGNs were significantly decreased, while the number of surviving SGNs was increased in peroxynitrite + NAC group compared the peroxynitrite-only group and in peroxynitrite + gpx1^–/– + NAC group vs. peroxynitrite + gpx1^–/– group. Finally, mechanistic studies showed that the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was involved in the SGNs damage caused by peroxynitrite and that GPX1 protected SGNs against peroxynitrite-induced damage, at least in part, via blocking the NF-κB pathway activation. Collectively, our findings suggest that GPX1 might serve as a new target for the prevention of nitrogen radical-induced SGNs damage and hearing loss.

Occurrence of tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy in women during chemotherapy treatment of breast cancer

Objective: To analyze the occurrence of tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy in women during breast cancer chemotherapy. Methods: This is a retrospective analytical study with a quantitative approach, performed in medical records of an oncology outpatient service between February 2014 and February 2015, using the toxicities scores of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). Results: Considering 181 patients with breast cancer who met the inclusion criteria, 49.2% reported tinnitus at some point of the treatment, while 65.1% peripheral sensory neuropathy. In both conditions, the predominant severity score was grade 1, with frequencies of 23.8% and 33.1%, respectively. A significant, positive and weak correlation was observed between the severity of tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy (ρ = 0.325 and p = 0.001), as well as very weak between the number of complete cycles of chemotherapy and tinnitus (ρ = 0.195 and p = 0.009) and neuropathy peripheral sensory (ρ = 0.237 and p = 0.002). Conclusions: Tinnitus and peripheral sensory neuropathy were frequent toxicities during chemotherapy treatment of breast cancer, and both manifested with low severity/functional impact in most participants.