title: A protective mechanism against antibiotic-induced ototoxicity: role of prestin.
abstract: Hearing loss or ototoxicity is one of the major side effects associated with the use of the antibiotics, particularly aminoglycosides (AGs), which are the most commonly used antibiotics worldwide. However, the molecular and cellular events involved in the antibiotic-induced ototoxicity remains unclear. In the present study, we test the possibility that prestin, the motor protein specifically expressed in the basolateral membrane of outer hair cells (OHCs) in the cochlea with electromotility responsible for sound amplification, may be involved in the process of AG-induced apoptosis in OHCs. Our results from both mice model and cultured cell line indicate a previously unexpected role of prestin, in mediating antibiotic-induced apoptosis, the effect of which is associated with its anion-transporting capacity. The observed downregulation of prestin mRNA prior to detectable apoptosis in OHCs and hearing loss in the antibiotic-treated mice is interesting, which may serve as a protective mechanism against hearing loss induced by AGs in the early stage.
authors.affiliation: Epithelial Cells Biology Research Center, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, ShaTin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiao Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lai Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Mei Kuen
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yiu Wa
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Xiao Hu
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ai Mei
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hsiao Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007612:Kanamycin / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; C498720:Pres protein, mouse; D007612:Kanamycin