Figure 2.

Protection of rat cochlear outer hair cells from cisplatin-induced damage by A₁AR agonist, R-PIA. Rats were pre-treated with R-PIA (10 μL of a 10 μM solution added to the round window). The remaining liquid was removed after 1 h and rats were administered cisplatin by intraperitoneal injections (16 mg/kg). Panels A–C are electron micrographs of the organ of Corti from rats treated with cisplatin and represent the hook, basal turn and the middle turn, respectively; Panels D–F shows the effect of pre-treatment with R-PIA for the respective regions; Panels G–I show the effect of R-PIA in presence of DPCPX, an A₁AR antagonist, on cisplatin-induced damage. The inner hair cells are the three rows of cells with the “V” shaped stereociliary bundles. The inner hair cells are barely visible on the top of each micrograph. The data which was confirmed from different cochlear preparations support a protective role of the A₁AR against cisplatin ototoxicity. (Reprinted with permission from [134], Copyright 2004 Elsevier). Scale bar = 5 μm.