Differential Expression of Bcl-2 in the Cochlea and Auditory Cortex of a Mouse Model of Age-Related Hearing Loss

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 326-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiuhong Huang ◽  
Hao Xiong ◽  
Haidi Yang ◽  
Yongkang Ou ◽  
Zhigang Zhang ◽  
...  

Bcl-2, the first gene shown to be involved in apoptosis, is a potent regulator of cell survival and known to have protective effects against a variety of age-related diseases. However, the possible relationship between hearing and Bcl-2 expression in the cochlea or auditory cortex of C57BL/6 mice, a mouse model of age-related hearing loss, is still unknown. Using RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis, our results show that Bcl-2 is strongly expressed in the inner hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons of young mice. In addition, moderate Bcl-2 expression is also detected in the outer hair cells and in the neurons of the auditory cortex. A significant reduction of Bcl-2 expression in the cochlea or auditory cortex is also associated with elevated hearing thresholds and hair cell loss during aging. The expression pattern of Bcl-2 in the peripheral and central auditory systems suggests that Bcl-2 may play an important role in auditory function serving as a protective molecule against age-related hearing loss.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chisato Fujimoto ◽  
Tatsuya Yamasoba

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), the progressive loss of hearing associated with aging, is the most common sensory disorder in the elderly population. The pathology of ARHL includes the hair cells of the organ of Corti, stria vascularis, and afferent spiral ganglion neurons as well as the central auditory pathways. Many studies have suggested that the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA damage, the production of reactive oxygen species, and decreased antioxidant function are associated with subsequent cochlear senescence in response to aging stress. Mitochondria play a crucial role in the induction of intrinsic apoptosis in cochlear cells. ARHL can be prevented in laboratory animals by certain interventions, such as caloric restriction and supplementation with antioxidants. In this review, we will focus on previous research concerning the role of the oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathology of ARHL in both animal models and humans and introduce concepts that have recently emerged regarding the mechanisms of the development of ARHL.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meijian Wang ◽  
Chuangeng Zhang ◽  
Shengyin Lin ◽  
Yong Wang ◽  
Benjamin J. Seicol ◽  
...  

SUMMARYSound information is transmitted from the cochlea to the brain by different subtypes of spiral ganglion neurons (SGN), which show varying degrees of vulnerbility under pathological conditions. It remains unclear how information from these SGNs reassemble among target neurons in the cochlear nucleus (CN) at the auditory nerve (AN) central synapses, and how different synapses change during hearing loss. Combining immunohistochemistry with electrophysiology, we investigated the giant endbulb of Held synapses and their postsynaptic bushy neurons in mice under normal hearing and age-related hearing loss (ARHL). We found that calretinin-expressing and non-calretinin-expressing endbulbs converge at continuously different ratios onto bushy neurons with varying physiological properties. Endbulbs degenerate during ARHL, and the degeneration is more severe in non-calretinin-expressing synapses, which correlates with a gradual decrease in neuronal subpopulation predominantly innervated by these inputs. Our findings suggest that biased AN central synaptopathy and shifted CN neuronal composition underlie reduced auditory input and altered central auditory processing during ARHL.


2014 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 8-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Xiong ◽  
Min Dai ◽  
Yongkang Ou ◽  
Jiaqi Pang ◽  
Haidi Yang ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (21) ◽  
pp. 11811-11819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis E. Boero ◽  
Valeria C. Castagna ◽  
Gonzalo Terreros ◽  
Marcelo J. Moglie ◽  
Sebastián Silva ◽  
...  

“Growing old” is the most common cause of hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) (presbycusis) first affects the ability to understand speech in background noise, even when auditory thresholds in quiet are normal. It has been suggested that cochlear denervation (“synaptopathy”) is an early contributor to age-related auditory decline. In the present work, we characterized age-related cochlear synaptic degeneration and hair cell loss in mice with enhanced α9α10 cholinergic nicotinic receptors gating kinetics (“gain of function” nAChRs). These mediate inhibitory olivocochlear feedback through the activation of associated calcium-gated potassium channels. Cochlear function was assessed via distortion product otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem responses. Cochlear structure was characterized in immunolabeled organ of Corti whole mounts using confocal microscopy to quantify hair cells, auditory neurons, presynaptic ribbons, and postsynaptic glutamate receptors. Aged wild-type mice had elevated acoustic thresholds and synaptic loss. Afferent synapses were lost from inner hair cells throughout the aged cochlea, together with some loss of outer hair cells. In contrast, cochlear structure and function were preserved in aged mice with gain-of-function nAChRs that provide enhanced olivocochlear inhibition, suggesting that efferent feedback is important for long-term maintenance of inner ear function. Our work provides evidence that olivocochlear-mediated resistance to presbycusis-ARHL occurs via the α9α10 nAChR complexes on outer hair cells. Thus, enhancement of the medial olivocochlear system could be a viable strategy to prevent age-related hearing loss.


Aging ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 2081-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Frisina ◽  
Bo Ding ◽  
Xiaoxia Zhu ◽  
Joseph P. Walton

BMC Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Corentin Affortit ◽  
François Casas ◽  
Sabine Ladrech ◽  
Jean-Charles Ceccato ◽  
Jérôme Bourien ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also known as presbycusis, is the most common sensory impairment seen in elderly people. However, the cochlear aging process does not affect people uniformly, suggesting that both genetic and environmental (e.g., noise, ototoxic drugs) factors and their interaction may influence the onset and severity of ARHL. Considering the potential links between thyroid hormone, mitochondrial activity, and hearing, here, we probed the role of p43, a N-terminally truncated and ligand-binding form of the nuclear receptor TRα1, in hearing function and in the maintenance of hearing during aging in p43−/− mice through complementary approaches, including in vivo electrophysiological recording, ultrastructural assessments, biochemistry, and molecular biology. Results We found that the p43−/− mice exhibit no obvious hearing loss in juvenile stages, but that these mice developed a premature, and more severe, ARHL resulting from the loss of cochlear sensory outer and inner hair cells and degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons. Exacerbated ARHL in p43−/− mice was associated with the early occurrence of a drastic fall of SIRT1 expression, together with an imbalance between pro-apoptotic Bax, p53 expression, and anti-apoptotic Bcl2 expression, as well as an increase in mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammatory process. Finally, p43−/− mice were also more vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss. Conclusions These results demonstrate for the first time a requirement for p43 in the maintenance of hearing during aging and highlight the need to probe the potential link between human THRA gene polymorphisms and/or mutations and accelerated age-related deafness or some adult-onset syndromic deafness.


2011 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitoshi OKUMURA ◽  
Yuki MIYASAKA ◽  
Yuka MORITA ◽  
Tomoyuki NOMURA ◽  
Yukio MISHIMA ◽  
...  

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 927 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Charles Liberman

The classic view of sensorineural hearing loss has been that the primary damage targets are hair cells and that auditory nerve loss is typically secondary to hair cell degeneration. Recent work has challenged that view. In noise-induced hearing loss, exposures causing only reversible threshold shifts (and no hair cell loss) nevertheless cause permanent loss of >50% of the synaptic connections between hair cells and the auditory nerve. Similarly, in age-related hearing loss, degeneration of cochlear synapses precedes both hair cell loss and threshold elevation. This primary neural degeneration has remained a “hidden hearing loss” for two reasons: 1) the neuronal cell bodies survive for years despite loss of synaptic connection with hair cells, and 2) the degeneration is selective for auditory nerve fibers with high thresholds. Although not required for threshold detection when quiet, these high-threshold fibers are critical for hearing in noisy environments. Research suggests that primary neural degeneration is an important contributor to the perceptual handicap in sensorineural hearing loss, and it may be key to the generation of tinnitus and other associated perceptual anomalies. In cases where the hair cells survive, neurotrophin therapies can elicit neurite outgrowth from surviving auditory neurons and re-establishment of their peripheral synapses; thus, treatments may be on the horizon.


Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chisato Fujimoto ◽  
Tatsuya Yamasoba

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with the etiologies of sensorineural hearing loss, such as age-related hearing loss, noise- and ototoxic drug-induced hearing loss, as well as hearing loss due to mitochondrial gene mutation. Mitochondria are the main sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ROS-induced oxidative stress is involved in cochlear damage. Moreover, the release of ROS causes further damage to mitochondrial components. Antioxidants are thought to counteract the deleterious effects of ROS and thus, may be effective for the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases. The administration of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants is one of the drug delivery systems targeted to mitochondria. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants are expected to help in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Of the various mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, the protective effects of MitoQ and SkQR1 against ototoxicity have been previously evaluated in animal models and/or mouse auditory cell lines. MitoQ protects against both gentamicin- and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. SkQR1 also provides auditory protective effects against gentamicin-induced ototoxicity. On the other hand, decreasing effect of MitoQ on gentamicin-induced cell apoptosis in auditory cell lines has been controversial. No clinical studies have been reported for otoprotection using mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants. High-quality clinical trials are required to reveal the therapeutic effect of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants in terms of otoprotection in patients.


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