Cisplatin and aminoglycoside antibiotics: hearing loss and its prevention

J Schacht, AE Talaska, LP Rybak - The Anatomical Record …, 2012 - Wiley Online Library
J Schacht, AE Talaska, LP Rybak
The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and …, 2012Wiley Online Library
This review introduces the pathology of aminoglycoside antibiotic and the cisplatin
chemotherapy classes of drugs, discusses oxidative stress in the inner ear as a primary
trigger for cell damage, and delineates the ensuing cell death pathways. Among potentially
ototoxic (damaging the inner ear) therapeutics, the platinum‐based anticancer drugs and
the aminoglycoside antibiotics are of critical clinical importance. Both drugs cause
sensorineural hearing loss in patients, a side effect that can be reproduced in experimental …
Abstract
This review introduces the pathology of aminoglycoside antibiotic and the cisplatin chemotherapy classes of drugs, discusses oxidative stress in the inner ear as a primary trigger for cell damage, and delineates the ensuing cell death pathways. Among potentially ototoxic (damaging the inner ear) therapeutics, the platinum‐based anticancer drugs and the aminoglycoside antibiotics are of critical clinical importance. Both drugs cause sensorineural hearing loss in patients, a side effect that can be reproduced in experimental animals. Hearing loss is reflected primarily in damage to outer hair cells, beginning in the basal turn of the cochlea. In addition, aminoglycosides might affect the vestibular system while cisplatin seems to have a much lower likelihood to do so. Finally, based on an understanding the mechanisms of ototoxicity pharmaceutical ways of protection of the cochlea are presented. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Wiley Online Library