Prophylactic and therapeutic functions of drug combinations against noise-induced hearing loss.

Prophylactic and therapeutic functions of drug combinations against noise-induced hearing loss. Hear Res. 2013 Jun 18; Authors: Bao J, Hungerford M, Luxmore R, Ding D, Qiu Z, Lei D, Yang A, Liang R, Ohlemiller KK Abstract Noise is the most common occupational and environmental hazard. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the second most common form of sensorineural hearing deficit, after age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). Although promising approaches have been identified for reducing NIHL, currently there are no effective medications to prevent NIHL. Development of an efficacious treatment has been hampered by the complex array of cellular and molecular pathways involved in NIHL. We turned this difficulty into an advantage by asking whether NIHL could be effectively prevented by targeting multiple signaling pathways with a combination of drugs already approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We previously found that antiepileptic drugs blocking T-type calcium channels had both prophylactic and therapeutic effects for NIHL. NIHL can also be reduced by an up-regulation of glucocorticoid (GC) signaling pathways. Based on these findings, we tested a combination therapy for NIHL that included ethosuximide and zonisamide (anticonvulsants) and dexamethasone and methylprednisolone (synthetic GCs) in mice under exposure conditions typically associated with dramatic permanent threshold shifts (PTS). We first examined possible prophylac...
Source: Hearing Research - Category: Audiology Authors: Tags: Hear Res Source Type: research