AN ASSESSMENT OF COCHLEAR HAIR-CELL LOSS IN INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS DIABETIC AND NOISE-EXPOSED RATS

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate if insulin-dep endent diabetes mellitus causes degenerative changes in the inner ear and whether these changes are exacerbated by noise exposure. Methods: Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was induced in male rats using str eptozotocin (65 mg/kg of body weight, intravenously). Half the animals were exposed to 95 dB of random noise for 12 hours per day over a per iod of 6 months. The cochleae were removed, fixed, decalcified, dissec ted, and the hair cells counted. Results: A significant loss of outer hair cells was exhibited in both noise-exposed groups; however, althou gh there was no significant difference between these two groups, the n oise-exposed diabetic animals had significant loss in more turns than did the noise-exposed control animals. The diabetic animals were not s tatistically different from the control animals. Conclusion: These res ults suggest that insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus may increase the hair-cell loss caused by noise overstimulation.