Cisplatin ototoxicity involves cytokines and STAT6 signaling network

Cell Res. 2011 Jun;21(6):944-56. doi: 10.1038/cr.2011.27. Epub 2011 Feb 15.

Abstract

We herein investigated the role of the STAT signaling cascade in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cisplatin ototoxicity. A significant hearing impairment caused by cisplatin injection was observed in Balb/c (wild type, WT) and STAT4(-/-), but not in STAT6(-/-) mice. Moreover, the expression levels of the protein and mRNA of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, were markedly increased in the serum and cochlea of WT and STAT4(-/-), but not STAT6(-/-) mice. Organotypic culture revealed that the shape of stereocilia bundles and arrays of sensory hair cell layers in the organ of Corti from STAT6(-/-) mice were intact after treatment with cisplatin, whereas those from WT and STAT4(-/-) mice were highly distorted and disarrayed after the treatment. Cisplatin induced the phosphorylation of STAT6 in HEI-OC1 auditory cells, and the knockdown of STAT6 by STAT6-specific siRNA significantly protected HEI-OC1 auditory cells from cisplatin-induced cell death and inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine production. We further demonstrated that IL-4 and IL-13 induced by cisplatin modulated the phosphorylation of STAT6 by binding with IL-4 receptor alpha and IL-13Rα1. These findings suggest that STAT6 signaling plays a pivotal role in cisplatin-mediated pro-inflammatory cytokine production and ototoxicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / toxicity*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cisplatin / toxicity*
  • Cochlea / drug effects
  • Cochlea / pathology
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / metabolism*
  • Cytotoxins / toxicity*
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / drug effects
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Hair Cells, Auditory / drug effects
  • Hair Cells, Auditory / pathology
  • Hearing Loss / chemically induced
  • Hearing Loss / pathology
  • Hearing Loss / physiopathology
  • Luciferases / biosynthesis
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA Interference
  • STAT4 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • STAT4 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Cytokines
  • Cytotoxins
  • NF-kappa B
  • STAT4 Transcription Factor
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor
  • Stat4 protein, mouse
  • Stat6 protein, mouse
  • Luciferases
  • Cisplatin