Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Real-Time Quantification of Reactive Oxygen Species in Neutrophils Infected with Meningitic Escherichia Coli
Published on: April 20, 2021
Reactive oxygen species in human inner ear perilymph
Andrea Ciorba1, Pierluigi Gasparini, Milvia Chicca
1Department of Audiology, University Hospital of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy. andrea.ciorba@unife.it
Conclusions:
The results reported here provide the first evidence of the production of superoxide, a biologically relevant reactive oxygen species (ROS), in human inner ear perilymph (hIP) in pathological conditions, by the activity of the xanthine dehydrogenase/xanthine oxidase (XA/XO) enzyme system.
Objective:
To investigate the presence of ROS in hIP.
Methods:
Since damage and apoptosis of inner ear hair cells may occur as a result of ROS-mediated injury, we investigated the presence and production of ROS in 105 hIP samples; 98 collected from patients affected by profound sensorineural hearing loss, during surgery for cochlear implantation, and 7 controls, collected from patients affected by otosclerosis, in case of spontaneous leakage after stapedotomy. ROS production was investigated by spectrophotometric analysis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).
Results:
In hIP samples tested by cytochrome c reduction kinetics, the average superoxide production was 27.34 mumoles per mg of total protein, against 0.36 in controls. Some of these hIP samples, analyzed by cytochrome c reduction kinetics in the presence of xanthine, were found to be positive for ROS-producing XA/XO enzyme. These results were supported by SDS-PAGE analysis.
Related Concept Videos
Anatomy of the Ear
The Auditory Ossicles
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Hair Cells
Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns
The Cochlea
Electron Transport Chain: Complex III and IV

