Cochlear function in young and adult Fischer 344 rats

Fischer 344 (F344) rats are often used as an animal model for investigation of the mechanisms underlying age-related hearing loss. The aim of this study was to assess cochlear function in young (1-month-old) and adult (6-month-old) F344 rats using recording of otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). The results were compared with control groups of Long Evans (LE) rats of the same ages. The results demonstrate a significant increase in the hearing threshold in F344 rats in comparison with LE rats, expressed mainly at low frequencies (1-2 kHz). In F344 rats, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions were not measurable and distortion product otoacoustic emissions could be detected within a frequency range of 2.4-6.3 kHz. Tympanometric measurements did not reveal any differences in middle ear parameters between F344 and LE rats. The amplitudes of click-evoked ABRs were significantly lower in 6-month-old F344 rats than in LE rats, but other parameters of the ABRs were almost identical in both rat strains. The results demonstrate a significant deficit in low-frequency hearing and altered otoacoustic emissions in both young and adult F344 rats, suggesting a defect of the inner ear sensory epithelium at the apical part of the cochlea.

[1]  J. Syka,et al.  Susceptibility to noise exposure during postnatal development in rats , 2001, Hearing Research.

[2]  J. Puel,et al.  Stereocilia and tectorial membrane development in the rat cochlea , 2004, Anatomy and Embryology.

[3]  K. Kawaguchi.  [Susceptibility of organ of Corti with or without melanin to acoustic overstimulation]. , 1992, Nihon Jibiinkoka Gakkai kaiho.

[4]  R. Hauser,et al.  Effects of atmospheric pressure variation on spontaneous, transiently evoked, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions in normal human ears , 1993, Hearing Research.

[5]  J. Syka,et al.  NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons in the auditory cortex of young and old rats , 2003, Neuroreport.

[6]  H. Sohmer,et al.  Effect of high-dose cisplatin on auditory brainstem responses and otoacoustic emissions in laboratory animals. , 2000, The American journal of otology.

[7]  D. Mills.  Differential responses to acoustic damage and furosemide in auditory brainstem and otoacoustic emission measures. , 2003, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[8]  Glen K. Martin,et al.  Distortion Product Emissions in Humans , 1990, The Annals of otology, rhinology & laryngology. Supplement.

[9]  B. Lonsbury-Martin,et al.  Postnatal development of 2ƒ1−ƒ2 otoacoustic emissions in pigmented rat , 1990, Hearing Research.

[10]  H. Burda.  Qualitative assessment of postnatal maturation of the organ of Corti in two rat strains , 1985, Hearing Research.

[11]  M. Seidman,et al.  Biologic activity of mitochondrial metabolites on aging and age-related hearing loss. , 2000, The American journal of otology.

[12]  H. Ostrer,et al.  Mutations in the connexin 26 gene (GJB2) among Ashkenazi Jews with nonsyndromic recessive deafness. , 1998, The New England journal of medicine.

[13]  Josef Syka,et al.  Threshold shifts and enhancement of cortical evoked responses after noise exposure in rats , 2000, Hearing Research.

[14]  S. Crifó.  Shiver-audiometry in the conditioned guinea-pig (simplified Anderson-Wedenberg test). , 1973, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[15]  S. Nakata,et al.  Effects of effusion in the middle ear and perforation of the tympanic membrane on otoacoustic emissions in guinea pigs , 1998, Hearing Research.

[16]  Pierre Campo,et al.  Use of DPOAEs for assessing hearing loss caused by styrene in the rat , 2002, Hearing Research.

[17]  M. Feldman,et al.  Morphology of the cochlear nerve in Sprague-Dawley and brown Norway rats. , 1988, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[18]  W. A. Cooper,et al.  Auditory brainstem responses to tonal stimuli in young and aging rats , 1990, Hearing Research.

[19]  J. Popelář,et al.  Acoustically and electrically evoked contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions in guinea pigs , 1999, Hearing Research.

[20]  D. Creel,et al.  Differential susceptibility to noise-induced permanent threshold shift between albino and pigmented guinea pigs , 1986, Hearing Research.

[21]  R. Salvi,et al.  GAD levels and muscimol binding in rat inferior colliculus following acoustic trauma , 2000, Hearing Research.

[22]  J. Puel,et al.  Correlative development of cochlear action potential sensitivity, latency, and frequency selectivity. , 1987, Brain research.

[23]  G. Kelloff,et al.  Incidence of spontaneous neoplasms in F344 rats throughout the natural life-span. , 1975, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[24]  M. Feldman,et al.  Cochlear degeneration in aged rats of four strains , 1992, Hearing Research.

[25]  E. Borg,et al.  Noise-induced hearing loss. Literature review and experiments in rabbits. Morphological and electrophysiological features, exposure parameters and temporal factors, variability and interactions. , 1995, Scandinavian audiology. Supplementum.

[26]  D. A. Godfrey,et al.  Quantitative inter-strain comparison of the distribution of choline acetyltransferase activity in the rat cochlear nucleus , 1987, Hearing Research.

[27]  M. Bergman,et al.  Hearing in ethnically different longshoremen. , 1972, Archives of otolaryngology.

[28]  D. Diloreto,et al.  The influences of age, retinal topography, and gender on retinal degeneration in the Fischer 344 rat , 1994, Brain Research.

[29]  P. Campo,et al.  Toluene-induced hearing loss: a mid-frequency location of the cochlear lesions. , 1997, Neurotoxicology and teratology.

[30]  Henry E. Heffner,et al.  Audiogram of the hooded Norway rat , 1994, Hearing Research.

[31]  H. Pratt,et al.  The effects of a connexin 26 mutation – 35delG – on oto-acoustic emissions and brainstem evoked potentials: homozygotes and carriers , 2002, Hearing Research.

[32]  G. V. Simpson,et al.  Altered peripheral and brainstem auditory function in aged rats , 1985, Brain Research.

[33]  M. Church,et al.  Effects of tone burst frequency and intensity on the auditory brainstem response (ABR) from albino and pigmented rats , 1992, Hearing Research.

[34]  H. Sohmer,et al.  Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions can be recorded in the rat , 1996, Hearing Research.

[35]  J. Yanz,et al.  The questionable relation between cochlear pigmentation and noise-induced hearing loss. , 1985, Audiology : official organ of the International Society of Audiology.

[36]  P. Avan,et al.  Transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions and high-frequency acoustic trauma in the guinea pig. , 1995, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[37]  H. Wada,et al.  Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in patients with middle ear disorders: Emisiones otoacústicas evocadas por transitorios (TEOAE) en pacientes con problemas del oído medio , 2003, International journal of audiology.

[38]  G. L. Coleman,et al.  Pathological Changes During Aging in, Barrier-Reared Fischer 344 Male Rats1 , 1977, Journal of gerontology.

[39]  M. Seidman,et al.  Molecular mechanisms of age-related hearing loss , 2002, Ageing Research Reviews.

[40]  J M Ward,et al.  Neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions in aging F344 rats. , 1979, Toxicology and applied pharmacology.

[41]  E. Carlier,et al.  Ontogenetic approach to inner and outer hair cell function , 1980, Hearing Research.

[42]  Auditory brainstem response (ABR) and effects of furosemide on ABR in conscious F344 rats. , 1996, The Journal of toxicological sciences.

[43]  J. Petruccelli,et al.  Ototoxic effects of cisplatin in a Sprague–Dawley rat animal model as revealed by ABR and transiently evoked otoacoustic emission measurements , 2002, Hearing Research.

[44]  M. Feldman,et al.  Hair cell counts in an age-graded series of rat cochleas , 1982, Hearing Research.

[45]  D. Caspary,et al.  Age-related changes in auditory brainstem responses in fischer 344 rats: effects of rate and intensity , 1994, Hearing Research.

[46]  P. Avan,et al.  Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions and the influence of high-frequency hearing losses in humans. , 1997, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[47]  B. Katbamna,et al.  Right-left correlation in guinea pig ears after noise exposure. , 1990, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[48]  S. S. Chen,et al.  Brain stem auditory-evoked potentials in different strains of rodents. , 1990, Acta physiologica Scandinavica.

[49]  H. Sohmer,et al.  Effect of Temperature on the Transient Evoked and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Rats , 1998, Audiology and Neurotology.

[50]  J. Kelly,et al.  Auditory sensitivity of the albino rat. , 1976, Journal of comparative and physiological psychology.

[51]  N. Carter.  Eye colour and susceptibility to noise-induced permanent threshold shift. , 1980, Audiology : official organ of the International Society of Audiology.

[52]  C. Cremers,et al.  Effect of Exogenous Surfactant on Ventilatory and Clearance Function of the Rat's Eustachian Tube , 2003, Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology.

[53]  K. Henry.  Influence of genotype and age on noise-induced auditory losses , 1982, Behavior genetics.

[54]  J. Syka,et al.  Auditory frequency and intensity discrimination in pigmented rats , 1996, Hearing Research.

[55]  D. Caspary,et al.  Physiology of the young adult Fischer 344 rat inferior colliculus: responses to contralateral monaural stimuli , 1996, Hearing Research.

[56]  D. Caspary,et al.  Response properties in young and old Fischer-344 rat lateral superior olive neurons: A quantitative approach , 1993, Neurobiology of Aging.

[57]  M. Seidman,et al.  Influence of Lecithin on Mitochondrial DNA and Age-Related Hearing Loss , 2002, Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

[58]  J. Petruccelli,et al.  Evaluation of anesthesia effects in a rat animal model using otoacoustic emission protocols 1 1 Oral presentation at the Inner Ear Biology Workshop, Rome, 2001. , 2002, Hearing Research.