PANTOTHENIC-ACID AND COENZYME-A IN EXPERIMENTAL CISPLATIN-INDUCED OTOTOXIA

We have observed that pantothenic acid (PA) prevents deafness induced by cisplatin (CP)in the guinea pig if both drugs are administered join tly. When deafness was previously produced, recovery was sometimes obt ained after the administration of PA; so, we studied the effects of PA on cisplatian-induced ototoxia in guinea pigs, both as a prophylactic agent in healthy animals, and as a therapeutic agent in animals previ ously made deaf by the drug. To elucidate why PA protects the ear from the toxic effects of CP, we used coenzyme A (CoA) instead of PA-since PA is a component of Coh-to test the hypothesis that the action of PA is due to CoA. The results were practically the same in both experien ces, the compound action potential of the auditory nerve (CAP) was tes ted and cochleas were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results suggest that the protective effect of PA takes place throu gh CoA. Both substances had the same effect on CP ototoxicity, but CoA appears to be much more active, since the dose tested here was much l ower than that of PA.