Protective role of misoprostol against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity

Cis-diammineedichloroplatinum (cisplatin) is a chemotherapeutic agent that is widely used in the treatment of many cancers. Nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity and neurotoxicity are dose-limiting adverse effects for cisplatin. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cisplatin-induced ototoxicity aren't fully understood. It has been proposed that cisplatin primarily cause damage at the cochlea, outer hair cells in particular, leading to excessive production of free oxygen radicals in the organ of Corti, stria vascularis, spiral ligament, and spiral ganglionic cells. The cytotoxicity is associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); thus, there is an increasing interest on antioxidants with an effort to discover the established protection against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity over time. Misoprostol (MP) has gained considerable interest as a reactive oxygen species scavenger in recent years. To best of our knowledge, there is no study about protective effect of MP, a prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) analogue, on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. In our study, we show that protective effects of misoprostol on cisplatin-induced ototoxcity on rats.