Apoptosis-inducing factor and calpain upregulation in glutamate-induced injury of rat spiral ganglion neurons.

Spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) damage and apoptosis can lead to noise-induced hearing loss, age-associated hearing loss and, in certain cases, auditory neuropathy. The apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF)-associated pathway may be important in this process. The present study aimed to investigate the expression levels of AIF and calpain in damaged SGNs. Glutamate (Glu) perfusion and cell culture in different concentrations of Glu were performed to damage the SGNs of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, with saline water used as a control Different concentrations (5, 10, 20 and 40 mM) of Glu were injected into the cochlear tympanic canal of 18 SD rats, and 10, 20 and 40 mM Glu were added to SGN cultures. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured prior to and 2 days following the injection of Glu. Immunofluorescent staining was used to detect the SGN damage and the expression levels of AIF and calpain in vivo and in in vitro. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to measure cell apoptosis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to analyse the gene expression levels of AIF and calpain in the damaged SGNs. The TEM identified mitochondrial vacuolisation, swelling of the SGN and heterochromatin formation. Injection of Glu reduced the number of SGNs and induced apoptosis. AIF was observed to translocate into the nuclei of the SGNs in the 20 and 40 mM Glu groups, and the expression levels of AIF and calpain were markedly upregulated in the modiolus of the Glu-damaged SGNs. The upregulation of AIF and calpain may be important in the process of SGN damage and apoptosis.

Calpain inhibitor PD150606 attenuates glutamate induced spiral ganglion neuron apoptosis through apoptosis inducing factor pathway in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to investigate whether glutamate induced spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) apoptosis through apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) pathway. And verify whether PD150606, a calpain inhibitor could prevent apoptosis by inhibiting cleaving and releasing AIF in mitochondrion. METHODS: SGNs of postnatal days 0-3 were harvested and cultured in dishes. 20 mM Glu, the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK and calpain inhibitor PD150606 were added into cultured dishes separately. We used optical microscope and immunofluoresence staining to observe cell morphology and AIF distribution, RT-PCR and Westernblot to analyse AIF and calpain expression in SGNs. TUNEL assay was used to test cell apoptosis. RESULTS: Cell morphology and nuclear translocation of AIF were altered in SGNs by 20 mM Glu treated in vitro. The axon of SGN shortened, more apoptosis SGN were observed and the expression of AIF and calpain were up-regulated in Glu-treated group than the normal one (P<0.05). The same experiments were conducted in 20 mM+PD150606 treated group and 20 mM+Z-VAD-FMK group. Obviously AIF were located from cytoplasm to the nuclear and the expressions of AIF and calpain were down-regulated by PD150606 (P<0.05). Positive cells in TUNEL staining decreased after PD150606 treating. However, Z-VAD-FMK had no influence on AIF, calpain expression or cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION: The AIF-related apoptosis pathway is involved in the process of Glu-induced SGN injury. Furthermore, the inhibition of calpain can prevent AIF from releasing the nuclear or inducing SGN apoptosis.