Resveratrol Mitigates Noise-Induced Cochlear Damage and Delays Hearing Loss in Wistar Rats

This study was aimed at evaluating the potential otoprotective effects of resveratrol (Changsha Huir Biological-Tech) on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in a Wistar rat model.

The study employed a randomized controlled design. The noise used for stimulation was white noise, centered at a frequency of 4000 Hz (3564-4490 Hz), with an intensity of 100 dB SPL, for a period of 10 consecutive days at 8 h/day. Thirty rats were randomly assigned to three groups: a control nonexposed-to-noise group (n = 10) that received a vehicle solution of DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) (Sigma-Aldrich), a noise-exposed study group (n = 10) that received a vehicle solution of DMSO, and a resveratrol study group that was exposed to noise and received 10 mg/kg/day of resveratrol. All groups underwent distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) assessments at three time points: initial examination (D0), examination after 10 consecutive days of noise exposure (D15), and examination after 15 days of acoustic rest (D30). Histological evaluations were conducted on cochlear tissues after euthanasia. Statistical analyses were performed using Prism software to determine differences between groups and across time points.

The amplitude values, signal-to-noise ratios of DPOAE, ABR thresholds, and cochlear morphology between the experimental and control groups were significantly different from each other.

The findings suggest that resveratrol exerts a partial otoprotective effect, possibly delaying the onset of NIHL. However, further research, particularly molecular research, is needed to better understand its therapeutic mechanism and its specific impact on auditory metabolic processes.