title: Possible involvement of nitric oxide in the sensorineural hearing loss of bacterial meningitis.
abstract: Microperfusion of scala tympani with the NO donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), produced marked depression of the compound action potential (CAP) and cochlear microphonic (CM) together with severe and widespread morphological damage to hair cells and supporting cells in the organ of Corti. In addition, direct perfusion of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) into scala tympani, which probably induces excess stimulation of NMDA receptors within the cochlea and which is known to lead to the release of NO, was found to elicit similar electrophysiological and structural lesions in the cochlea. Pre-perfusion of scala tympani with L-methyl arginine (L-MA), which inhibits the release of NO, or superoxide dismutase (SOD), an O2-scavenger, conferred marked protection upon the cochlea from the lesions caused by NO donors. These observations indicate that enhanced NO production is likely to be an important factor responsible for pathological insult of the cochlea. The possibility is discussed that this factor is involved in the chain of events leading to hearing loss caused by bacterial meningitis. Such hearing loss is a major sequela of bacterial meningitis in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Amaee
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Comis
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drew
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tarlow
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003055:Cochlear Microphonic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D012533:Scala Tympani / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D010396:Penicillamine