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Radix astragali inhibits the down-regulation of connexin 26 in the stria vascularis of the guinea pig cochlea after acoustic trauma

  • Otology
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Abstract

Connexin 26 (cx26) plays an important role in the intercellular signaling and is related to K+ metabolism in stria vascularis (SV). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are negative regulators of cx26, reducing intercellular coupling in cochlea. ROS plays an important role in acoustic trauma. Radix astragali is a natural antioxidant that decreases impulse noise-induced hearing loss through its ability to inhibit ROS. The purpose of this study was to investigate if radix astragali has the potential to reduce the change of cx26 in SV from impulse noise. Guinea pigs in the experimental group were administered radix astragali intraperitoneally. Auditory thresholds were assessed by sound-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR) at click and tone bursts of 8, 16 and 32 kHz, 24 h before and 72 h after exposure to impulse noise. 4-Hydroxynonenal, cx26 and KCNQ1 were determined immunohistochemically in SV. SV was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Radix astragali significantly reduced the ABR deficits and the SV damage, and decreased the shifts of the expression of cx26 and KCNQ1 in the SV. These results suggest that the beneficial effect of radix astragali on impulse noise-induced hearing loss may be also due to its ability to reduce the change of cx26 in SV.

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The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Liu Hua Road 111, Guangzhou, 510010, China

    Min Xiong, Xiaoyan Fu & Wenting Deng

  2. Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital Affiliated To Guangzhou Traditional Chinese Medical University, Da De Road 111, Guangzhou, 510120, China

    Yazhen Zhu, Qinglian He & Guangjuan Zheng

  3. Medical Research Center, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou, 510010, China

    Huangwen Lai & Chuanhong Yang

Authors
  1. Min Xiong
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  2. Yazhen Zhu
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  3. Huangwen Lai
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  4. Xiaoyan Fu
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  5. Wenting Deng
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  6. Chuanhong Yang
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  7. Qinglian He
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  8. Guangjuan Zheng
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Min Xiong or Guangjuan Zheng.

Additional information

M. Xiong, Y. Zhu and H. Lai have contributed equally to this work.

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Xiong, M., Zhu, Y., Lai, H. et al. Radix astragali inhibits the down-regulation of connexin 26 in the stria vascularis of the guinea pig cochlea after acoustic trauma. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 272, 2153–2160 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3093-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3093-4

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