title: Physiological dimensions of ototoxic responses in a model fish species.
abstract: Pharmaceutical agents known to be toxic to the human auditory system also impair sensory hair cells of teleosts, and this supports the use of fish models for the screening of such compounds. However, previous investigations have focused almost exclusively on anatomical changes after drug administration without assessing macro-level physiological effects. Using the goldfish (Carassius auratus), we demonstrate that the acquisition of auditory evoked potentials offers a rapid and non-invasive means for tracking ototoxin-induced shifts in auditory thresholds. Gentamicin (100mg/mL) was the agent of choice as it is an extensively-studied human ototoxin. Significant shifts (p<0.05) in hearing sensitivity were observed between 300 Hz and 600 Hz and these shifts depended on acoustic pressure, but not particle motion. This differential elevation of auditory thresholds may be caused by impairment of specific populations of auditory sensory hair cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, St Mary's College of Maryland, 18952 E Fisher Road, St Mary's City, Maryland 20686, USA. juramcharitar@smcm.edu
authors.forename: John U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Ramcharitar
authors.forename: Cody L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Brack
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000162:Acoustics; D000818:Animals; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000633:toxicity; D006054:Goldfish; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053403:Lateral Line System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D011312:Pressure; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D014160:Transducers, Pressure
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors