The Effect of Thymoquinone on Acoustic Trauma-Induced Hearing Loss in Rats

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of thymoquinone, an antioxidant, on hearing loss induced by acoustic trauma in rats. Material and methods This study included 32 Wistar Albino rats divided into four groups: control, acoustic trauma, thymoquinone + acoustic trauma, and thymoquinone only, with eight rats per group. The control group received 0.5 mL of corn oil intraperitoneally for 10 days. The acoustic trauma group was exposed to 100 dB white noise at 4 kHz for 16 hours. The thymoquinone + acoustic trauma group received thymoquinone (10 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for two days before acoustic trauma and eight days after acoustic trauma. The thymoquinone only group received thymoquinone (10 mg/kg) for 10 days. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured before and after treatments on days 1, 4, and 10. Results In the control group, DPOAE measurements showed no significant change over the study period. The acoustic trauma group exhibited a significant decrease in DPOAE on the first day after trauma, followed by some recovery. The thymoquinone + acoustic trauma group showed no significant decrease in DPOAE on the first day post-trauma, suggesting a protective effect. The thymoquinone only group also indicated no significant change in DPOAE measurements, suggesting that thymoquinone alone did not affect hearing function. Conclusion Thymoquinone demonstrated a protective effect against acoustic trauma-induced hearing loss in rats, as evidenced by stable DPOAE measurements post-trauma. These findings suggest that thymoquinone may help preserve hearing function by reducing oxidative stress in the cochlea. Further studies are needed to confirm these results in humans and optimize dosage and treatment protocols.