Diffusible Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) Promotes Noise-Induced Parvalbumin-Positive (PV+) Neuron Loss and Auditory Processing Impairments

Di Deng, Weihua Wang, Shaowen Bao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Neuroinflammation has been implicated in noise-induced auditory processing disorder and tinnitus. Certain non-auditory neurological disorders can also increase the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the brain. To investigate the impact of increased brain proinflammatory cytokine levels on the central auditory pathway, we infused recombinant TNF-α into the right lateral cerebral ventricle, and examined auditory processing and cytoarchitecture of the auditory cortex. Microglial deramification was observed in the auditory cortex of mice that had received both TNF-α infusion and exposure to an 86-dB noise, but not in mice that had received either TNF-α infusion or noise exposure alone. In addition, we observed reduced cortical PV+ neuron density and impaired performances in gap detection and prepulse inhibition (PPI) only in mice that received both TNF-α infusion and the noise exposure. These results suggest that disease-related increase in brain proinflammatory cytokine release could be a risk factor for noise-induced auditory processing disorder and tinnitus.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number573047
JournalFrontiers in Neuroscience
Volume14
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 12 2020

Keywords

  • TNF-α
  • auditory processing
  • hearing loss
  • microglia
  • parvalbumin-positive neuron
  • tinnitus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Diffusible Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) Promotes Noise-Induced Parvalbumin-Positive (PV+) Neuron Loss and Auditory Processing Impairments'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this