Caravelli Antonella, Pianese Luigi, Saulino Claudio, Di Leva Francesca, Sequino Luigi, Cocozza Sergio, Marciano Elio, Franzé Annamaria
Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, IGB A. Buzzati Traverso, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Hear Res. 2004 Dec;198(1-2):36-40. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2004.07.011.
Noise over-stimulation will induce or influence molecular pathways in the cochlea; one approach to the identification of the components of these pathways in the cochlea is to examine genes and proteins that change following different types and levels of stress. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction provides a method to look at differential expression of genes in the acoustic stress response. By using this technique we have revealed a down-regulation of the level of otospiralin mRNA in the cochlea of guinea pigs after white noise over-stimulation for 2 h at 108 dB SPL. Otospiralin represents an inner ear specific protein found in fibrocytes of spiral limbus and spiral ligament in the cochlea, and some regions of the vestibule as the stroma underlying the utricle and crista sensory epithelia and the subepithelial layer of the walls of semicircular canals and maculae. It has been recently reported that transient down-regulation of otospiralin in guinea pigs causes vestibular syndrome and deafness. Our results suggest a possible role of this gene in response to acoustical stress, although the exact mechanism remains to be resolved.
噪声过度刺激会诱导或影响耳蜗中的分子通路；确定耳蜗中这些通路组成成分的一种方法是检查在不同类型和水平的应激后发生变化的基因和蛋白质。定量逆转录聚合酶链反应提供了一种观察基因在声学应激反应中差异表达的方法。通过使用这种技术，我们发现在108 dB SPL的白噪声过度刺激2小时后，豚鼠耳蜗中耳螺旋蛋白mRNA水平下调。耳螺旋蛋白是一种内耳特异性蛋白，存在于耳蜗螺旋缘和螺旋韧带的纤维细胞中，以及前庭的一些区域，如椭圆囊和嵴感觉上皮下方的基质以及半规管和黄斑壁的上皮下层。最近有报道称，豚鼠中耳螺旋蛋白的短暂下调会导致前庭综合征和耳聋。我们的结果表明该基因在应对声学应激中可能发挥作用，尽管确切机制仍有待解决。
