Work

Efferent protection from acoustic injury is mediated via alpha9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on outer hair cells.

Year: 2002

Type: article

Abstract: Exposure to intense sound can damage the mechanosensors of the inner ear and their afferent innervation. These neurosensory elements are innervated by a sound-activated feedback pathway, the olivocochlear efferent system. One major component of this system is cholinergic, and known cholinergic effects are mediated by the alpha9/alpha10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) complex. Here, we show that overexpression of alpha9 nAChR in the outer hair cells of bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mice significantly reduces acoustic injury from exposures causing either temporary or permanent damage, without changing pre-exposure cochlear sensitivity to low- or moderate-level sound. These data demonstrate that efferent protection is mediated via the alpha9 nAChR in the outer hair cells and provide direct evidence for a protective role, in vivo, of a member of the nAChR family.

Source: PubMed

DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.22-24-10838.2002

Authors: Stephane F Maison, Anne E Luebke, M Charles Liberman, Jian Zuo

Institutions: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard University, University of Miami, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics

Subfield: Sensory Systems

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders