Curculigo orchioides, natural compounds for the treatment of noise-induced hearing loss in mice

Arch Pharm Res. 2011 Apr;34(4):653-9. doi: 10.1007/s12272-011-0416-5. Epub 2011 May 5.

Abstract

Noise exposure is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is thought to primarily involve damage to the sensory hair cells of the cochlea via mechanical and metabolic mechanisms. Curculigo orchioides Gaerten (C. orchioides) is considered to have immunostimulant, hepatoprotective, antioxidative, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities. But the effect of C. orchioides on NIHL is not yet reported, this study focused on examining the therapeutic effects of C. orchioides on NIHL in a mouse model. Oral treatment with the extract of C. orchioides began 24 h following an examination that determined a shift in hearing threshold induced by noise exposure. Hearing threshold shifts were assessed by analyzing auditory brainstem responses at 1, 5, and 7 days following noise exposure. Central auditory function was evaluated using auditory middle latency responses, and cochlear function was determined based on transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions. C. orchioides reduced hearing threshold shifts, central auditory function damage, and cochlear function deficits. Our results suggest that C. orchioides can be utilized as a potential therapeutic natural product for NIHL.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Audiometry, Evoked Response
  • Auditory Threshold / drug effects
  • Curculigo / chemistry*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / drug effects
  • Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Reaction Time / drug effects
  • Rhizome / chemistry

Substances

  • Plant Extracts