Expression and localization of α_2A-adrenergic receptor in the rat post-natal developing cochlea

Lots of adrenergic receptors (ARs) are widely present across the auditory pathways and are positioned to affect auditory and vestibular functions. However, noradrenergic regulation in the cochlea has not been well characterized. In this study, a rat model of noise-induced hearing loss was developed to investigate the expression of α2A-adrenergic receptor (AR) after acoustic trauma, then, we investigated the expression of α2A-AR in the developing rat cochlea using immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting. We found that the expression of α2A-AR significantly increased in rats exposed to noise compared with controls. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that α2A-AR is localized on hair cells (HCs), spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), and the stria vascularis (SV) in the postnatal developing cochlea from post-natal day (P) 0 to P28. Furthermore, we observed α2A-AR mRNA reached a maximum level at P14 and P28 when compared with P0, while no significant differences in α2A-AR protein levels at the various stages when compared with P0. This study provides direct evidence for the expression of α2A-AR in HCs, SGNs, and the SV of the cochlea, indicating that norepinephrine might play a vital role in hearing function within the cochlea through α2A-AR.