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Neomycin-induced deafness in neonatal mice
Raffaello M Cutri1, Joshua Lin1, Nhi V Nguyen2
1Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Journal of Neuroscience Methods
|April 9, 2023
Summary
A single neomycin injection into the neonatal mouse inner ear rapidly causes hair cell loss and nerve damage, creating a reliable model for studying deafness and auditory development.
Area of Science:
- Oto-neurology
- Developmental biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Hearing impairment is a growing public health concern with limited therapeutic options.
- Animal models are crucial for understanding deafness and developing hearing restoration strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a reliable and rapid deafening model in neonatal mice.
- To investigate the effects of inner ear damage during auditory maturation.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal mice (P2-5) received micro-injections of neomycin into the endolymphatic space.
- Cochlear morphology, hair cell (HC) loss, supporting cell changes, and neurite denervation were assessed.
- Spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) density and auditory brain response (ABR) were measured post-injection.
Main Results:
- Neomycin induced rapid and complete degeneration of inner and outer HCs within 3 days.
- Significant SGN density reduction and profound deafness (confirmed by ABR) were observed at 4 weeks.
- Time- and dose-dependent degeneration patterns were noted along the cochlear axis.
Conclusions:
- A single endolymphatic neomycin injection reliably induces significant hair cell loss and denervation in neonatal mice.
- This method offers a robust and rapid deafening model for auditory research.
- The model facilitates the study of inner ear damage during critical auditory development periods.
