Protective effect of resveratrol against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in HEI-OC1 auditory cells

Objectives: Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic drug, but it generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that induce severe adverse effects such as ototoxicity. Resveratrol reportedly prevents oxidative stress-induced cell death. Thus, we hypothesized that the anti-oxidative effect of resveratrol could protect against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. The present study examined the protective effect of resveratrol against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in HEI-OC1 auditory cells.

Methods: HEI-OC1 cells were pretreated with resveratrol at 1μM for 24h and then exposed to 15μM cisplatin for 48h. Resulting cytotoxicity was measured by the MTT method, and intracellular ROS was measured using flow cytometry. Protective effect of resveratrol was compared with other anti-oxidants.

Results: Pretreatment with resveratrol 1μM protected HEI-OC1 auditory cells against cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and significantly reduced a cisplatin-induced increase in ROS. Resveratrol provided significant protection against 15μM cisplatin applied for 48h (50.8% cell viability in the cisplatin group vs. 57.6% in the cisplatin-plus-resveratrol group), and there was a 9% decrease in cisplatin-induced ROS associated with resveratrol.

Conclusions: This is the study investigating the protective effects of resveratrol against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in an auditory cell line. Resveratrol significantly reduced a cisplatin-induced increase in ROS and thereby inhibited cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity.