In vitro ototoxicity of aminoglycosides and platin derivatives. A semi-automatic assay for sensory hair cell damage in explanted rat organ of corti

The ototoxic damage that drugs such as neomycin, kanamycin, colistin, cispl atin, transplatin and carboplatin cause on outer and inner hair cells in po stnatal day 3 rat cochlear explants was investigated. Phalloidin-fluorescei n conjugate-stained stereocilia bundles of sensory hair cells were quantifi ed by video image analysis as a measurement of ototoxic effect. The video i mage quantification system established dose-response curves for ototoxic dr ugs (e.g. calculation of an IC50) and allowed comparisons between several o totoxins from the same family. This methodology provided the means to asses s the efficacy of otoprotectant agents in preventing ototoxicity. Poly-1-as partate (10(-5) M) and poly-l-glutamate (10(-5) M) protected auditory hair cells from neomycin (10(-3) M) toxicity while reduced glutathione (10(-3) M ) provided protection against cisplatin (10(-4) M)-induced hair cell damage . (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.