scholarly journals miRNA and mRNA Profiling Links Connexin Deficiency to Deafness via Early Oxidative Damage in the Mouse Stria Vascularis

Author(s):  
Giulia Gentile ◽  
Fabiola Paciello ◽  
Veronica Zorzi ◽  
Antonio Gianmaria Spampinato ◽  
Maria Guarnaccia ◽  
...  

Pathogenic mutations in the non-syndromic hearing loss and deafness 1 (DFNB1) locus are the primary cause of monogenic inheritance for prelingual hearing loss. To unravel molecular pathways involved in etiopathology and look for early degeneration biomarkers, we used a system biology approach to analyze Cx30−/− mice at an early cochlear post-natal developmental stage. These mice are a DFNB1 mouse model with severely reduced expression levels of two connexins in the inner ear, Cx30, and Cx26. Integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the cochleae of Cx30−/− mice at post-natal day 5 revealed the overexpression of five miRNAs (miR-34c, miR-29b, miR-29c, miR-141, and miR-181a) linked to apoptosis, oxidative stress, and cochlear degeneration, which have Sirt1 as a common target of transcriptional and/or post-transcriptional regulation. In young adult Cx30−/− mice (3 months of age), these alterations culminated with blood barrier disruption in the Stria vascularis (SV), which is known to have the highest aerobic metabolic rate of all cochlear structures and whose microvascular alterations contribute to age-related degeneration and progressive decline of auditory function. Our experimental validation of selected targets links hearing acquisition failure in Cx30−/− mice, early oxidative stress, and metabolic dysregulation to the activation of the Sirt1–p53 axis. This is the first integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA in the cochlea of the Cx30−/− mouse model, providing evidence that connexin downregulation determines a miRNA-mediated response which leads to chronic exhaustion of cochlear antioxidant defense mechanisms and consequent SV dysfunction. Our analyses support the notion that connexin dysfunction intervenes early on during development, causing vascular damage later on in life. This study identifies also early miRNA-mediated biomarkers of hearing impairment, either inherited or age related.

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1497
Author(s):  
Luz del Mar Rivas-Chacón ◽  
Sofía Martínez-Rodríguez ◽  
Raquel Madrid-García ◽  
Joaquín Yanes-Díaz ◽  
Juan Ignacio Riestra-Ayora ◽  
...  

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is an increasing and gradual sensorineural hearing dysfunction. Oxidative stress is an essential factor in developing ARHL; additionally, premature senescence of auditory cells induced by oxidative stress can produce hearing loss. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) represents a method commonly used to generate cellular senescence in vitro. The objective of the present paper is to study H2O2-induced senescence patterns in three auditory cell lines (House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1, HEI-OC1; organ of Corti, OC-k3, and stria vascularis, SV-k1 cells) to elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms responsible for ARHL. The auditory cells were exposed to H2O2 at different concentrations and times. The results obtained show different responses of the hearing cells concerning cell growth, β-galactosidase activity, morphological changes, mitochondrial activation, levels of oxidative stress, and other markers of cell damage (Forkhead box O3a, FoxO3a, and 8-oxoguanine, 8-oxoG). Comparison between the responses of these auditory cells to H2O2 is a helpful method to evaluate the molecular mechanisms responsible for these auditory cells’ senescence. Furthermore, this in vitro model could help develop anti-senescent therapeutic strategies for the treatment of AHRL.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1041
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Chester ◽  
Edan Johnston ◽  
Daniel Walker ◽  
Melissa Jones ◽  
Corina Mihaela Ionescu ◽  
...  

Aging is considered a contributing factor to many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss, also termed presbycusis, is one of the most common sensory impairments worldwide, affecting one in five people over 50 years of age, and this prevalence is growing annually. Associations have emerged between presbycusis and detrimental health outcomes, including social isolation and mental health. It remains largely untreatable apart from hearing aids, and with no globally established prevention strategies in the clinical setting. Hence, this review aims to explore the pathophysiology of presbycusis and potential therapies, based on a recent advancement in bile acid-based bio-nanotechnologies. A comprehensive online search was carried out using the following keywords: presbycusis, drugs, hearing loss, bile acids, nanotechnology, and more than 150 publications were considered directly relevant. Evidence of the multifaceted oxidative stress and chronic inflammation involvement in cellular damage and apoptosis that is associated with a loss of hair cells, damaged and inflamed stria vascularis, and neuronal signalling loss and apoptosis continues to emerge. New robust and effective therapies require drug delivery deeper into the various layers of the cochlea. Bile acid-based nanotechnology has gained wide interest in its permeation-enhancing ability and potential for numerous applications in treating presbycusis.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 622
Author(s):  
Iswariyaraja Sridevi Gurubaran ◽  
Hanna Heloterä ◽  
Stephen Marry ◽  
Ali Koskela ◽  
Juha M. T. Hyttinen ◽  
...  

Aging-associated chronic oxidative stress and inflammation are known to be involved in various diseases, e.g., age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Previously, we reported the presence of dry AMD-like signs, such as elevated oxidative stress, dysfunctional mitophagy and the accumulation of detrimental oxidized materials in the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, and a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (NFE2L2/PGC1α) double knockout (dKO) mouse model. Here, we investigated the dynamics of inflammatory markers in one-year-old NFE2L2/PGC1α dKO mice. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increase in levels of Toll-like receptors 3 and 9, while those of NOD-like receptor 3 were decreased in NFE2L2/PGC1α dKO retinal specimens as compared to wild type animals. Further analysis showed a trend towards an increase in complement component C5a independent of component C3, observed to be tightly regulated by complement factor H. Interestingly, we found that thrombin, a serine protease enzyme, was involved in enhancing the terminal pathway producing C5a, independent of C3. We also detected an increase in primary acute phase C-reactive protein and receptor for advanced glycation end products in NFE2L2/PGC1α dKO retina. Our main data show C5 and thrombin upregulation together with decreased C3 levels in this dry AMD-like model. In general, the retina strives to mount an orchestrated inflammatory response while attempting to maintain tissue homeostasis and resolve inflammation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paromita Majumder ◽  
Thomas S. Blacker ◽  
Lisa S. Nolan ◽  
Michael R. Duchen ◽  
Jonathan E. Gale

AbstractAn increasing volume of data suggests that changes in cellular metabolism have a major impact on the health of tissues and organs, including in the auditory system where metabolic alterations are implicated in both age-related and noise-induced hearing loss. However, the difficulty of access and the complex cyto-architecture of the organ of Corti has made interrogating the individual metabolic states of the diverse cell types present a major challenge. Multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) allows label-free measurements of the biochemical status of the intrinsically fluorescent metabolic cofactors NADH and NADPH with subcellular spatial resolution. However, the interpretation of NAD(P)H FLIM measurements in terms of the metabolic state of the sample are not completely understood. We have used this technique to explore changes in metabolism associated with hearing onset and with acquired (age-related and noise-induced) hearing loss. We show that these conditions are associated with altered NAD(P)H fluorescence lifetimes, use a simple cell model to confirm an inverse relationship between τbound and oxidative stress, and propose such changes as a potential index of oxidative stress applicable to all mammalian cell types.


2020 ◽  
Vol 319 (3) ◽  
pp. C569-C578
Author(s):  
Bei Chen ◽  
Hongen Xu ◽  
Yanfang Mi ◽  
Wei Jiang ◽  
Dan Guo ◽  
...  

Mutations in connexin 30 (Cx30) are known to cause severe congenital hearing impairment; however, the mechanism by which Cx30 mediates homeostasis of endocochlear gap junctions is unclear. We used a gene deletion mouse model to explore the mechanisms of Cx30 in preventing hearing loss. Our results suggest that despite severe loss of the auditory brain-stem response and endocochlear potential at postnatal day 18, Cx30−/− mice only show sporadic loss of the outer hair cells. This inconsistency in the time course and severity of hearing and hair cell losses in Cx30−/− mice might be explained, in part, by an increase in reactive oxygen species generation beginning at postnatal day 10. The expression of oxidative stress genes was increased in Cx30−/− mice in the stria vascularis, spiral ligament, and organ of Corti. Furthermore, Cx30 deficiency caused mitochondrial dysfunction at postnatal day 18, as assessed by decreased ATP levels and decreased expression of mitochondrial complex I proteins, especially in the stria vascularis. Proteomic analysis further identified 444 proteins that were dysregulated in Cx30−/− mice, including several that are involved in mitochondria electron transport, ATP synthesis, or ion transport. Additionally, proapoptotic proteins, including Bax, Bad, and caspase-3, were upregulated at postnatal day 18, providing a molecular basis to explain the loss of hearing that occurs before hair cell loss. Therefore, our results are consistent with an environment of oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in the cochlea of Cx30−/− mice that is coincident with hearing loss but precedes hair cell loss.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. Assiri ◽  
Hadi R. Ali ◽  
John O. Marentette ◽  
Youngho Yun ◽  
Juan Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chronic alcohol consumption is a significant cause of liver disease worldwide. Several biochemical mechanisms have been linked to the initiation and progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation, including the disruption of NAD+/NADH. Indeed, an ethanol-mediated reduction in hepatic NAD+ levels is thought to be one factor underlying ethanol-induced steatosis, oxidative stress, steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, and inhibition of gluconeogenesis. Therefore, we applied a NAD+ boosting supplement to investigate alterations in the pathogenesis of early-stage ALD. Methods To examine the impact of NAD+ therapy on the early stages of ALD, we utilized nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) at 500 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection every other day, for the duration of a Lieber-DeCarli 6-week chronic ethanol model in mice. Numerous strategies were employed to characterize the effect of NMN therapy, including the integration of RNA-seq, immunoblotting, and metabolomics analysis. Results Our findings reveal that NMN therapy increased hepatic NAD+ levels, prevented an ethanol-induced increase in plasma ALT and AST, and changed the expression of 25% of the genes that were modulated by ethanol metabolism. These genes were associated with a number of pathways including the MAPK pathway. Interestingly, our analysis revealed that NMN treatment normalized Erk1/2 signaling and prevented an induction of Atf3 overexpression. Conclusions These findings reveal previously unreported mechanisms by which NMN supplementation alters hepatic gene expression and protein pathways to impact ethanol hepatotoxicity in an early-stage murine model of ALD. Overall, our data suggest further research is needed to fully characterize treatment paradigms and biochemical implications of NAD+-based interventions.


Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chisato Fujimoto ◽  
Tatsuya Yamasoba

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with the etiologies of sensorineural hearing loss, such as age-related hearing loss, noise- and ototoxic drug-induced hearing loss, as well as hearing loss due to mitochondrial gene mutation. Mitochondria are the main sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ROS-induced oxidative stress is involved in cochlear damage. Moreover, the release of ROS causes further damage to mitochondrial components. Antioxidants are thought to counteract the deleterious effects of ROS and thus, may be effective for the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases. The administration of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants is one of the drug delivery systems targeted to mitochondria. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants are expected to help in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Of the various mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, the protective effects of MitoQ and SkQR1 against ototoxicity have been previously evaluated in animal models and/or mouse auditory cell lines. MitoQ protects against both gentamicin- and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. SkQR1 also provides auditory protective effects against gentamicin-induced ototoxicity. On the other hand, decreasing effect of MitoQ on gentamicin-induced cell apoptosis in auditory cell lines has been controversial. No clinical studies have been reported for otoprotection using mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants. High-quality clinical trials are required to reveal the therapeutic effect of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants in terms of otoprotection in patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Costa d’Avila ◽  
Luciana Domett Siqueira ◽  
Aurélien Mazeraud ◽  
Estefania Pereira Azevedo ◽  
Debora Foguel ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Frisina ◽  
D. Robert Frisina

Purpose The aim of this study was to highlight growing evidence of interactions between hormones and the structure and function of the auditory system. Method Recent studies implicating sex hormones and other natural hormones in the modulation of hearing status in age-related hearing loss were reviewed. Results Progesterone, a sex hormone, has been shown to have negative effects on the hearing of older women and aging mice, whereas, in contrast, estrogen was found in some cases to have a positive influence. Aldosterone, used in studies of animal models of autoimmune hearing loss, slowed the progression of hearing loss. Follow-up studies in humans revealed that auditory measures varied as serum aldosterone levels shifted within the normal range, in otherwise healthy older subjects. This was true for simple as well as complex auditory tasks (i.e., sound spatial processing), suggesting benefits of aldosterone to postperipheral auditory processing as well. In addition, evidence suggests that this functional hearing improvement occurred in association with anatomical improvements to the stria vascularis—an important site of anatomical change in presbycusis. Conclusions Audiology is now at the point where the search for biomedical interventions to modulate or prevent age-related hearing loss can move forward. Such interventions would require multidisciplinary collaborative initiatives by researchers in such areas as drug development, anatomy, auditory physiological and perceptual testing, and drug microdelivery systems.


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