Protective effects of beta-carotene on d-galactose induced ototoxicity in newborn rats

OBJETIVE To investigate the role of feeding pregnant and lactational mothers with β-carotene in preventing cochlear function damage and hair cells apoptosis induced by D-galactose in newborn rats.METHODS 18 of pregnant rats were divided into 3 groups which were fed with common diet,D-galactose and D-galactose add β-carotene from gestational day 6 respectively.On postnatal day 21,offspring were examined in the distortion product otoacoustic emission(DPOAE)task as well as the blood levels of D-galactose and β-carotene,malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),and glutathione(GSH).Moreover,silver nitrate staining immunohistochemical stain and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling(TUNEL) assay were used for observation of hair cell apoptosis.RESULTS β-carotene could decrease hair cell loss and delay apoptosis of hair cell and positive expression of Caspase-3 induced by D-galactose in newborn rats.CONCLUSION β-Carotene could be considered as a simple preventive strategy for d-galactose-induced ototoxicity.