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Melatonin and other antioxidants prolong the postmortem activity of the outer hair cells of the organ of Corti: Its relation to the type of death
Author(s) -
LopezGonzalez Miguel A.,
Guerrero Juan M.,
Rojas Francisco,
Osuna Carmen,
Delgado Francisco
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of pineal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1600-079X
pISSN - 0742-3098
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-079x.1999.tb00599.x
Subject(s) - organ of corti , melatonin , biology , anatomy , inner ear , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , medicine
Abstract: The outer hair cells of the organ of Corti transform sound into electrical signals, beginning the nervous auditive process. These cells produce acoustic emissions when working routinely, known as otoacoustic emissions. Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are recorded from the hearing duct through a probe which incorporates a sound source and a sensitive microphone. On the other hand, the cochlea produces oxygen‐derived free radicals and nitric oxide, in addition, melatonin is present in the cochlea. The authors have studied the influence of melatonin or an antioxidant mixture (alpha‐tocopherol acid succinate, ascorbic acid, glutathione, and N‐acetylcysteine) on the postmortem activity of the outer hair cells of the organ of Corti of the rat, measuring distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Control rats showed postmortem distortion product otoacoustic emissions for about 2 min when sacrificed by decapitation, and for about 3 min when sacrificed by chloroform inhalation. Melatonin prolonged the postmortem activity 3.5 times when the animals were sacrificed by decapitation, and 7 times when animals were sacrificed by chloroform inhalation. Similar results were obtained with the antioxidant mixture. Results show that melatonin and other antioxidants have, in general, a protective role on the postmortem activity of the outer hair cells of the organ of Corti.