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Apoptosis-inducing factor is involved in gentamicin-induced vestibular hair cell death
Daogong Zhang1, Zhaomin Fan, Yuechen Han
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, PR China.
Aim:
Vestibular hair cell loss in response to different stimuli may be attributable to the occurrence of apoptosis, in which apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is an important regulator mediating apoptotic process independent of caspases. This study was designed to investigate the possible involvement of AIF in gentamicin (GM)-induced vestibular hair cell death.
Methods:
Vestibular organs from postnatal day 3 or 4 rats were maintained in tissue culture and were exposed to 2 mg/ml GM for up to 72 h. Vestibular hair cell viability was quantified by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. AIF activation was examined by RT-PCR. The expressions of the mitochondrial protein and cytoplasm protein of AIF were detected by Western blot.
Results:
GM could significantly inhibit the cell viability of vestibular hair cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The number of apoptotic cells treated with GM was higher than that of cells not treated with GM. RT-PCR showed upregulation of AIF mRNA under GM. Western blot showed that AIF from mitochondria was decreased, whereas AIF from cytoplasm was increased after GM exposure.
Conclusions:
AIF participates in GM-induced apoptosis of vestibular hair cells.
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