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Lee YY, Choo OS, Kim YJ, Gil ES, Jang JH, Kang Y, Choung YH. Atorvastatin prevents hearing impairment in the presence of hyperlipidemia. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1867:118850. [PMID: 32918982 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It is known that hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for sensorineural hearing loss. However, the biological mechanisms underlying hyperlipidemia and hearing impairment have not been completely elucidated in the cochlea. Based on our previous study of human subjects, elderly people taking drugs for hyperlipidemia showed better hearing than those not taking any medications. We hypothesized that drugs for hyperlipidemia, such as statins, may have the potential to prevent hearing impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between hyperlipidemia and hearing impairment and the hearing preservation effect of atorvastatin using a hyperlipidemic mouse model with diet-induced obesity (DIO). Here, we demonstrate that DIO mice had a significant hearing impairment as well as increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hair cell death due to reduced levels of pAKT and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2). However, these changes were significantly prevented by atorvastatin. Oxidative stress-induced intrinsic apoptosis was decreased by the high expression of Nrf2 and antioxidant genes, which improved mitochondrial function and ROS via activation of the PI3K-pAKT pathway by atorvastatin. Therefore, atorvastatin has the potential to prevent hearing impairment via redox balance in the presence of hyperlipidemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Yeong Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea
| | - Oak-Sung Choo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon Ju Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Sol Gil
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Ajou University Graduate School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hun Jang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea
| | - Yup Kang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea; Department of Physiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yun-Hoon Choung
- Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Ajou University Graduate School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyunggi-do 443-749, Republic of Korea.
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