Latest Issue
Issue 2 ， 2019
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Frontiers in auditory bioscience and technology: a special feature on recent advances in hearing research
Abstract：Hearing impairment has become one of the most common sensory disabilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 466 million people were living with disabling hearing loss in 2018, and that number could rise to 900 million by 2050. Conductive hearing loss, which predominantly involves the sound-transmitting route of the outer and middle ear, has been well handled by antibiotics and surgery. However, sensorineural hearing loss, which involves the inner ear and structures further within the auditory pathway, has very limited biological treatment options (current treatment options include only hearing amplification and cochlear implants). Part of the reason for the paucity of therapeutics is due to the complexity of the auditory system and the limited regenerative ability of the hearing sensory cells, hair cells, and connected nerve.Keywords：Hearing impairment;Auditory;Special feature- 26
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Published：2022-01-05
Editorial
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Blast-induced hearing loss
Abstract：The incidence of blast injury has increased recently. As the ear is the organ most sensitive to blast overpressure, the most frequent injuries seen after blast exposure are those affecting the ear. Blast overpressure affecting the ear results in sensorineural hearing loss, which is untreatable and often associated with a decline in the quality of life. Here, we review recent cases of blast-induced hearing dysfunction. The tympanic membrane is particularly sensitive to blast pressure waves, since such waves exert forces mainly at air–tissue interfaces within the body. However, treatment of tympanic membrane perforation caused by blast exposure is more difficult than that caused by other etiologies. Sensorineural hearing dysfunction after blast exposure is caused mainly by stereociliary bundle disruption on the outer hair cells. Also, a reduction in the numbers of synaptic ribbons in the inner hair cells and spiral ganglion cells is associated with hidden hearing loss, which is strongly associated with tinnitus or hyperacusis.Keywords：Blast injury;Hidden hearing loss;Sensorineural hearing loss;Stereocilia;Tympanic membrane perforation- 18
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Published：2022-01-05 -
Neuromodulation for tinnitus treatment: an overview of invasive and non-invasive techniques
Abstract：Tinnitus is defined as a perception of sound without any external sound source. Chronic tinnitus is a frequent condition that can affect the quality of life. So far, no causal cure for tinnitus has been documented, and most pharmacologic and psychosomatic treatment modalities aim to diminish tinnitus’ impact on the quality of life. Neuromodulation, a novel therapeutic modality, which aims at alternating nerve activity through a targeted delivery of a stimulus, has emerged as a potential option in tinnitus treatment. This review provides a brief overview of the current neuromodulation techniques as tinnitus treatment options. The main intention is to provide updated knowledge especially for medical professionals counselling tinnitus patients in this emerging field of medicine. Non-invasive methods such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial electrical stimulation, neurofeedback, and transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation were included, as well as invasive methods such as implanted vagus nerve stimulation and invasive brain stimulation. Some of these neuromodulation techniques revealed promising results; nevertheless, further research is needed, especially regarding the pathophysiological principle as to how these neuromodulation techniques work and what neuronal change they induce. Various studies suggest that individually different brain states and networks are involved in the generation and perception of tinnitus. Therefore, in the future, individually tailored neuromodulation strategies could be a promising approach in tinnitus treatment for achieving a more substantial and longer lasting improvement of complaints.Keywords：Tinnitus;Neuromodulation;Invasive technique;Non-invasive technique- 10
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Published：2022-01-05
Perspective
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Bone morphogenetic proteins and inner ear development
Abstract：Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are the largest subfamily of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, and they play important roles in the development of numerous organs, including the inner ear. The inner ear is a relatively small organ but has a highly complex structure and is involved in both hearing and balance. Here, we discuss BMPs and BMP signaling pathways and then focus on the role of BMP signal pathway regulation in the development of the inner ear and the implications this has for the treatment of human hearing loss and balance dysfunction.Keywords：Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling;Development;Inner ear;Hearing;Balance- 16
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Published：2022-01-05 -
Atoh1 regulation in the cochlea: more than just transcription
Abstract：More than 80% of all cases of deafness are related to the death or degeneration of cochlear hair cells and the associated spiral ganglion neurons, and a lack of regeneration of these cells leads to permanent hearing loss. Therefore, the regeneration of lost hair cells is an important goal for the treatment of deafness. Atoh1 is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is critical in both the development and regeneration of cochlear hair cells. Atoh1 is transcriptionally regulated by several signaling pathways, including Notch and Wnt signalings. At the post-translational level, it is regulated through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In vitro and in vivo studies have revealed that manipulation of these signaling pathways not only controls development, but also leads to the regeneration of cochlear hair cells after damage. Recent progress toward understanding the signaling networks involved in hair cell development and regeneration has led to the development of new strategies to replace lost hair cells. This review focuses on our current understanding of the signaling pathways that regulate Atoh1 in the cochlea.Keywords：Atoh1;Huwe1;Cochlea;Hair cells;Regeneration;Post-translational regulation- 123
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Published：2022-01-05
Review
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Cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea secondary to congenital inner ear dysplasia: diagnosis and management of 18 cases
Abstract：Objective:To describe the characteristics of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical methods, and outcomes of patients with otogenic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage secondary to congenital inner ear dysplasia.Methods:A retrospective review was performed of 18 patients with otogenic CSF leakage secondary to inner ear dysplasia who underwent surgery in our group from 2007 to 2017 and had a follow-up of at least 4 months. The average length of follow-up was three years. The characteristics of the clinical presentations of all patients, such as self-reported symptoms, radiographic findings, surgical approaches and methods of repair, position of the leakage during surgery, and postoperative course, including the success rate of surgery, are presented.Results:The patients presented mostly with typical symptoms of meningitis, severe hearing impairment, and CSF otorrhea or rhinorrhea. All 18 patients had at least one previous episode of meningitis accompanied by a severe hearing impairment. The preoperative audiograms of 17 patients showed profound sensorineural hearing loss, and one patient had conductive hearing loss. Twelve patients presented with an initial onset of otorrhea, and two had accompanying rhinorrhea. Six patients complained of rhinorrhea, two of whom were misdiagnosed with CSF rhinorrhea and underwent transnasal endoscopy at another hospital. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images can reveal developments in the inner ear, such as expansion of a vestibular cyst, unclear structure of the semicircular canal or cochlea, or signs of effusion in the middle ear or mastoid, which strongly suggest the possibility of CSF otorrhea. The children in the study suffered more severe dysplasia than adults. All 18 patients had CSF leakage identified during surgery. The most common defect sites were in the stapes footplates (55.6%), and 38.9% of patients had a leak around the oval window. One patient had a return of CSF otorrhea during the postoperative period, which did not re-occur following a second repair.Conclusions:CSF otorrhea due to congenital inner ear dysplasia is more severe in children than in adults. The most common symptoms were meningitis, hearing impairment, and CSF otorrhea or rhinorrhea. HRCT has high diagnostic accuracy for this disease. The most common fistula site was around the oval window, including the stapes footplates and the annular ligament.Keywords：Cerebrospinal fluid;Abnormality;High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT);Congenital inner ear dysplasia;Otorrhea;Meningitis- 17
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Published：2022-01-05 -
Oral administration of
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG to newborn piglets augments gut barrier function in pre-weaning piglets#Abstract：To understand the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) on intestinal barrier function in pre-weaning piglets under normal conditions, twenty-four newborn littermate piglets were randomly divided into two groups. Piglets in the control group were orally administered with 2 mL 0.1 g/mL sterilized skim milk while the treatment group was administered the same volume of sterilized skim milk with the addition of viable L. rhamnosus at the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days after birth. The feeding trial was conducted for 25 d. Results showed that piglets in the L. rhamnosus group exhibited increased weaning weight and average daily weight gain, whereas diarrhea incidence was decreased. The bacterial abundance and composition of cecal contents, especially Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria, were altered by probiotic treatment. In addition, L. rhamnosus increased the jejunal permeability and promoted the immunologic barrier through regulating antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and chemokines via Toll-like receptors. Our findings indicate that oral administration of L. rhamnosus GG to newborn piglets is beneficial for intestinal health of pre-weaning piglets by improving the biological, physical, and immunologic barriers of intestinal mucosa.Keywords：Lactobacillus rhamnosus;Gut microbiota;Intestinal physical barrier;Intestinal immunological barrier;Piglet- 28
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Published：2022-01-05 -
Novel ractopamine–protein carrier conjugation and its application to the lateral flow strip test for ractopamine detection in animal feed#
Abstract：In this work, a novel conjugate of ractopamine and bovine serum albumin (RAC–BSA) has been developed via the Mannich reaction, with a mole coupling ratio for RAC–BSA of 9:1. The proposed conjugation method provides a simple and one-step method with the use of fewer reagents compared with other conjugation methods for competitive immunoassays. RAC–BSA conjugation was used to fabricate a competitive lateral flow strip test for RAC detection in animal feed. For sample preparation, RAC was spiked in swine feed purchased from the local markets in Thailand, and methanol and running buffer at a volume ratio of 10:90 was used as extraction buffer. The procedures for sample preparation were completed within 25 min. Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD), assessed by the naked eye within 5 min, was found to be 1 ng/g. A semi-quantitative analysis was also conducted using a smart phone and computer software, with a linearity of 0.075–0.750 ng/g, calculated LOD of 0.10 ng/g, calculated limit of quantitation of 0.33 ng/g, and good correlation of 0.992. The recoveries were found in the range of 96.4%–103.7% with a relative standard deviation of 2.5%–3.6% for intra-and inter-assays. Comparison of the results obtained by the strip test with those obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay had a good agreement in terms of accuracy. Furthermore, this strip test exhibited highly specific RAC detection without cross reactivity with related compounds. Therefore, the RAC–BSA conjugation via the Mannich reaction can be accepted as a one-step and easy conjugation method and applied to the competitive lateral flow strip test.Keywords：Ractopamine;Conjugate of ractopamine and bovine serum albumin (RAC–BSA);Mannich reaction;Lateral flow strip test;Feed additive- 52
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Published：2022-01-05
Article
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New SNP variants of
MARVELD2 (DFNB49 ) associated with non-syndromic hearing loss in Chinese population#Abstract：Non-Syndromic Hearing Loss (NSHL) is a common defect in humans. Variants of MARVELD2 at the DFNB49 locus have been shown to cause bilateral, moderate to profound NSHL. However, the role of MARVELD2 in NSHL susceptibility in the chinese population has not been studied. Here we conducted a case-control study in an eastern chinese population to profile the spectrum and frequency of MARVELD2 variants, as well as the association of MARVELD2 gene variants with NSHL. Our results showed that variants identified in the chinese population are significantly different from those reported in Slovak, Hungarian, and Czech Roma, as well as Pakistani families. We identified 11 variants in a cohort of 283 NSHL cases. Through Sanger sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we found that c.730G>A variant has detrimental effects in the eastern chinese population, and may have relatively high correlation with NSHL pathogenicity.Keywords：Chinese population;MARVELD2;Non-Syndromic Hearing Loss;SNP variants- 16
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Published：2022-01-05
Correspondence
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In vitro culture of mammalian inner ear hair cells
Abstract：Auditory function in vertebrates depends on the transduction of sound vibrations into electrical signals by inner ear hair cells. In general, hearing loss resulting from hair cell damage is irreversible because the human ear has been considered to be incapable of regenerating or repairing these sensory elements following severe injury. Therefore, regeneration and protection of inner ear hair cells have become an exciting, rapidly evolving field of research during the last decade. However, mammalian auditory hair cells are few in number, experimentally inaccessible, and barely proliferate postnatally in vitro. Various in vitro primary culture systems of inner ear hair cells have been established by different groups, although many challenges remain unresolved. Here, we briefly explain the structure of the inner ear, summarize the published methods of in vitro hair cell cultures, and propose a feasible protocol for culturing these cells, which gave satisfactory results in our study. A better understanding of in vitro hair cell cultures will substantially facilitate research involving auditory functions, drug development, and the isolation of critical molecules involved in hair cell biology.Keywords：Inner ear;Hair cell;In vitro culture system- 120
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Published：2022-01-05
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