Effects of nimodipine on noise-induced hearing loss

The effects of nimodipine, a calcium channel blocker, on noise-induced hearing loss were examined in gerbils. Animals were implanted subcutaneously with a timed-release pellet containing either nimodipine (approximately 10 mg/kg/day) or placebo and exposed to either 102 or 107 dBA noise. Serum levels were tested in two subjects and were in the range known to protect humans from cerebral artery vasospasm and ischemia-related neurologic deficits. Nimodipine and control groups had similar amounts of noise-induced (a) permanent threshold shift; (b) reductions in distortion product otoacoustic emissions; (c) reductions in tuning and suppression of the compound action potential; and (d) loss of outer hair cells. The results suggest that nimodipine, at a dose which results in clinically relevant serum levels, does not provide protection from the effects of moderately intense noise exposures.

Effectiveness of intermittent and continuous acoustic stimulation in preventing noise-induced hearing and hair cell loss

Resistance to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) was studied in gerbils exposed either to intermittent or continuous low-level noise prior to an intense noise. Auditory-evoked brainstem response (ABR) thresholds, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), Q10dB values from compound action potential (CAP) tuning curves, and outer hair cell (OHC) loss were measured for each group. Subjects were exposed to A-weighted noise (octave band noise centered at 2 kHz) on an intermittent (80 dB, 6 h/day) or continuous schedule (74 dB, 24 h/day) for 10 days, allowed to rest in quiet for 2 days, then exposed to intense A-weighted noise (107 dB, 24 h/day) for 2 days. A "noise-only" group was exposed only to the intense noise. Gerbils exposed in both the "intermittent" and "continuous" groups had less (15-30 dB) temporary threshold shift (TTS) than those in the noise-only group. In addition, the continuous group had less (10-15 dB) permanent threshold shift (PTS) than the other groups. These data suggest that resistance to NIHL is evident in both the intermittent and continuous groups when TTS is measured, but resistance to PTS is afforded only by the continuous paradigm. Both paradigms decreased OHC loss as compared to the noise-only group, with the continuous paradigm being most effective. However, neither paradigm conserved DPOAE amplitudes or tuning curve Q10dB values relative to the noise-only group.