ObjectiveToinvestigatetheoccurrenceandpossiblemechanismsofapoptosisincochlearepitheliumandspiralganglionneuronsaftermefloquinetreatment.MethodsWeusedquantitativeRT-PCRapoptosis-focusedgenearrays(96-well,84apoptosisrelatedgenes)toassesschangesofgeneexpressioninthecochlearbasilarmembrane(haircells-supportingcells)andspiralganglionneuronsofratcochlearorganotypicculturestreatedwith100μMmefloquinefor3h.ResultsSignificantup-ordown-regulationingeneexpressionwasdetectedin23genesinthecochlearbasilarmembrane,andin32genesinthespiralganglionneuronscomparedwithtime-matchedcontrols.Therespondinggenescouldbeclassifiedaspro-oranti-apoptotic,andweremainlyimplicatedintheBcl-2,Caspase,Card,IAP,TNFligand/TNFreceptor,Deathdomain/Deatheffectordomain,DNAdamage/p53,andNF-kappaBfamilies.Syntheticanalysissuggestedthatthesefamiliescouldberevisedtotwomajorpathwaysmainlyinvolvedinthedeathreceptor-mediatedsignalingpathwayandapoptoticmitochondrialpathway.Inaddition,itwasfoundthatnumerousanti-apoptoticgenessuchasBcl2a1,Birc1b,Birc3,Birc4,Bnip1,Cflar,Il10,Lhx4,Mcl1,Nfkb1,Prlr,Prok2,andTNFweregreatlyup-regulatedinthecochleartissue,whichmightimplytheco-existenceofprotectiveresponseinthecellsattheearlystageofmefloquine-induceddamage.
