title: Somatostatin and gentamicin-induced auditory hair cell loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hair cells of the mammalian auditory system do not regenerate, and therefore their loss leads to irreversible hearing loss. Aminoglycosides, among other substances, can irreversibly damage hair cells. Somatostatin, a peptide with hormone/neurotransmitter properties, has neuroprotective effects by binding to its receptor. In this study, we tested whether somatostatin can protect hair cells from gentamicin-induced damage in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study confirmed the expression of somatostatin receptor mRNA within the cochlea and analyzed the effect of somatostatin on gentamicin-induced hair cell damage and death in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of somatostatin receptor mRNA in the rat cochlea was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Protection of auditory hair cells from gentamicin was tested using two different concentrations (1 microM and 5 microM, respectively) of somatostatin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We detected somatostatin receptor-1 and -2 mRNA and in the organ of Corti (OC), spiral ganglion, and stria vascularis by RT-PCR. Moreover, we could see significantly less hair cell loss in the OCs that were pretreated with either 1 microM or 5 microM of somatostatin as compared with samples treated with gentamicin alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased hair cell loss in somatostatin-treated samples that had been exposed to gentamicin provides evidence for a protective effect of somatostatin in aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caelers
authors.forename: Arianne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monge
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bodmer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000633:toxicity*; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; C101130:somatostatin receptor type 1; D013004:Somatostatin