Cochlear and vestibular sensory cells undergo apoptosis when exposed to aminoglycoside antibiotics in organ culture, but mechanisms of chronic drug-induced hair cell loss in vivo are unclear. We investigated cell death pathways in a mouse model of progressive kanamycin-induced hair cell loss. Hair cell nuclei showed both apoptotic-and necrotic-like appearances but markers for classic apoptotic pathways (cytochrome c, caspase-9, caspase-3, JNK, TUNEL) were absent. In contrast, drug treatment caused EndoG translocation, activation of l-calpain, and both the synthesis and activation of cathepsin D. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) was decreased, but a caspase-derived 89 kDa PARP1 fragment was not present. The mRNA level of PARP1 remained unchanged. Thus, chronic administration of aminoglycosides causes multiple forms of cell death, without a major contribution by classic apoptosis. These results provide a better understanding of the toxic effects of aminoglycosides and are relevant to design protection from aminoglycosideinduced hearing loss.
The mammalian inner ear loses its sensory cells with advancing age, accompanied by a functional decrease in balance and hearing. This study investigates oxidant stress in the cochlea of aging male CBA/J mice. Glutathione-conjugated proteins, markers of H 2 O 2 -mediated oxidation, began to increase at 12 months of age; 4-hydroxynonenal and 3-nitrotyrosine, products of hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite action, respectively, were elevated by 18 months. Immunoreactivity to these markers was stronger in the supporting cells (Deiters and pillar cells) than the sensory cells. It appeared later (23 months) in the nerve fibers of the spiral ganglion and in the stria vascularis and spiral ligament. Conversely, antioxidant proteins (AIF) and enzymes (SOD2) decreased by 18 months in the organ of Corti (including the sensory cells) and nerve fibers but not in the stria vascularis. These results suggest the presence of different reactive oxygen species and differential time courses of oxidative changes in individual tissues of the aging cochlea. An imbalance of redox status may be a component of age-related hearing loss.
Cell death in outer hair cells of the mammalian inner ear induced by aminoglycoside antibiotics is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and can be prevented by antioxidants. The current study investigates the role of the nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB pathway in cell death or survival in adult CBA mice. Kanamycin (700 mg/kg subcutaneously, twice per day) progressively destroys hair cells but after 7 days of treatment auditory function and morphology are not yet affected significantly, permitting investigations of early events in drug-induced cell death. Immunostaining for 4-hydroxynonenal, indicative of lipid peroxidation, was elevated in the cochlea, but there was no effect on nitrotyrosine, a marker for peroxynitrite. NF-kappaB was increased at 3 hr, 3 days, and 7 days of treatment, with p50 and p65 proteins as its most abundant subunits. Immunoreactivity for p50 was present in nuclei of inner hair cells and supporting cells that survive the drug treatment. In contrast, nuclei of outer hair cells were devoid of label. Concomitant injections of antioxidants, however, such as 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid or salicylate (which prevent cell death induced by kanamycin), promoted the translocation of NF-kappaB into the nuclei of outer hair cells. In addition, kanamycin treatment decreased tyrosine phosphorylation of the inhibitory IkappaBalpha protein, leading to increased IkappaBalpha levels in the cochlea; the effect was reversed by cotreatment with antioxidants. These results suggest that changes in the redox state of the cochlea stimulate the activation of NF-kappaB and that this activation is cell protective.
Our findings provide evidence that miR-23b is capable of inducing tolerogenic DC activity and Treg responses in vitro through the inhibition of the Notch1 and NF-κB signalling pathways; thus, miR-23b might represent a therapeutic target for the management of allergic diseases.
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