Hwanggunchungyitang prevents cadmium-induced ototoxicity through suppression of the activation of caspase-9 and extracellular signal-related kinase in auditory HEI-OC1 cells.

Abstract

Hwanggunchungyitang (HGCYT) is a newly designed herbal drug formula for the purpose of treating auditory diseases. A number of heavy metals have been associated with toxic effects to the peripheral or central auditory system. Cadmium (Cd(2+)) is a heavy metal and a potent carcinogen implicated in tumor development through occupational and environmental exposure. However, the auditory effect of Cd(2+) is not poorly understood. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether HGCYT prevent the ototoxic effects induced by Cd(2+) in auditory cell line, HEI-OC1. HGCYT inhibited the cell death, reactive oxygen species generation (ROS), activation of caspase-9, and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) induced by Cd(2+). In addition, we observed that cochlear hair cells in middle turn were damaged by Cd(2+). However, HGCYT prevented the destruction of hair cell arrays of the rat primary organ of Corti explants in the presence of Cd(2+). These results support the notion that ROS are involved in Cd(2+) ototoxicity and suggest HGCYT therapeutic usefulness, against Cd(2+)-induced activation of caspase-9 and ERK.

• Authors: Su-Jin Kim, Bong-Gi Shin, In-Young Choi, Dong-Hyun Kim, Min-Cheol Kim, Noh-Yil Myung, Phil-Dong Moon, Jeong-Han Lee, Hyo-Jin An, Na-Hyung Kim, Joo-Young Lee, Hong-Seob So, Rae-Kil Park, Hyun-Ja Jeong, Jae-Young Um, Hyung-Min Kim, Seung-Heon Hong
• Journal: Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (Biol Pharm Bull) Vol. 32 Issue 2 Pg. 213-9 (Feb 2009) ISSN: 0918-6158 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 19182378 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Indicators and Reagents
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Tetrazolium Salts
• Thiazoles
• hwanggunchungyitang
• Cadmium
• Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
• Caspase 9
• thiazolyl blue

Topics

• Animals
• Blotting, Western
• Cadmium (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism, toxicity)
• Caspase 9 (metabolism)
• Cell Line
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (therapeutic use)
• Enzyme Activation (drug effects)
• Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases (metabolism)
• Hair Cells, Auditory (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Hearing Disorders (chemically induced, prevention & control)
• Humans
• Indicators and Reagents
• Mice
• Organ Culture Techniques
• Organ of Corti (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Tetrazolium Salts
• Thiazoles