Noise protection with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) using a variety of noise exposures, NAC doses, and routes of administration.
CONCLUSIONS
These studies extend previous work on N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) and noise, showing protection with NAC against a high-kurtosis noise, showing protection with NAC at low doses, as well as protection by oral gavage. The studies further reveal the potential for the use of NAC in a clinical population exposed to noise.


OBJECTIVE
To extend previous work on NAC protection from noise, the current study examined the effectiveness of NAC against a high-kurtosis noise that combined continuous and impact noise, tested the effectiveness of NAC at varying doses, and tested NAC when administered by gavage.


METHODS
Chinchillas were tested for auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) at five frequencies before and at three time points after one of three noise exposures: high-kurtosis (2 h, 108 dB L(eq)), impulse (75 pairs of 155 dB pSPL impulses), or continuous (4 kHz octave band, 105 dB SPL for 6 h). Animals were treated with NAC or saline vehicle before and after noise.


RESULTS
The NAC was protective against the high-kurtosis noise both at low doses and when given orally by gavage.
Bielefeld
Eric C
EC
Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Kopke
Richard D
RD
Jackson
Ronald L
RL
Coleman
John K M
JK
Liu
Jianzhong
J
Henderson
Donald
D
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002682:Chinchilla; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects
D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D000111:Acetylcysteine