INDUCTION OF IMMUNE-MEDIATED HEARING-LOSS IN SCID MICE BY INJECTION OF MRL LPR MOUSE SPLEEN-CELLS/

The MRL/lpr mouse, which has a mutation in the Pas gene encoding a cel l-surface receptor for apoptosis, shows an accumulation of abnormal im munocompetent cells and SLE-like disease. It has recently been reporte d that this mouse also manifests sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) with cochlear pathology at 20 weeks of age. We examined the effects of inj ecting MRL/lpr spleen cells on the development of SHL in severe combin ed immunodeficient (SCID) mice, which originally develop neither SHL n or cochlear pathology. Immune-mediated SHL and cochlear pathology were , indeed, transferred to the SCID mice by the injection of spleen cell s from the MRL/lpr mice. These findings suggest that cell-mediated imm unity is involved in the development of SHL and cochlear pathology. (C ) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.