title: Argon protects hypoxia-, cisplatin- and gentamycin-exposed hair cells in the newborn rat's organ of Corti.
abstract: During the last few years, an important protective effect of the noble gas xenon against neuronal hypoxic damage was observed. However, argon (Ar), a gas from the same chemical group, but less expensive and without anesthetic effect at normobaric pressure, has not been studied in terms of possible biological effects on cell protection. Ar was tested for its ability to protect organotypic cultures of the organ of Corti from 3-5 day old rats against hypoxia, cisplatin, and gentamycin toxicity. Cultures were exposed to nitrogen hypoxia (5% CO2, 95% N2), Ar hypoxia (5% CO2, 95% Ar) or normoxia for 30 h. Ar protected the hair cells from hypoxia-induced damage by about 25%. Ar-oxygen (O2) mixtures (21% O2, 5% CO2, 74% Ar) had no effect on the hair cell survival. Cisplatin (7.5-25 microM) and gentamycin (5-40 microM) exposed in medium under air damaged the hair cells in a dose-dependent manner. The exposure of cisplatin- and gentamycin-treated cultures to the Ar-O2 atmosphere significantly reduced the hair cell damage by up to 25%. This protective effect of Ar might provide a new protective approach against ototoxic processes.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biological Research Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Spandauer Damm 130, Building 31, 14050 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Yury M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yarin
authors.forename: Nyamaa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amarjargal
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Heidemarie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haupt
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.forename: Svetlana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Morozova
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D001128:Argon / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000633:toxicity*; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000633:toxicity*; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D009925:Organ of Corti / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005839:Gentamicins; D001128:Argon; D002945:Cisplatin