Abstract:

Objective     To explore the protective effect and implications of JNK inhibitor  CEP-1347 on noise-damaged cochlea. Methods    Twenty seven wista r rats were divided randomly into three major groups: group A, the noise group;  group B, the noise plus CEP-1347 group; group C, the noise plus saline group. All rats were exposed to noise. Group B was subcutaneously injected with CEP-1347 while group C was injected with same dose saline before the exposure. The ABR threshold and apoptosis of outer hair cell were detected on the first, fourth and 14thday after exposure in all groups. Results    ABR threshold and apoptosis counts showed no statistical significance between group B and A  on the first day (P>0.05). However, significant differences appeared on day 4, (P<0.05) and day 14 (P<0.01). There was no statistical significance between group C and A during the whole time frame(P>0.05). Conclusion     Inhibitor of JNK pathway, CEP-1347, may alleviate the noise-induced apoptosis and hearing loss to some extent. JNK inhabitor may serve as a new target and subject for NIHL research.

Key words: Noise-induced hearing loss; Cephalon incorporated library compound number 1347; Apoptosis