Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41546041›Full record

ArticleHead & face medicine2026

Functional and biochemical protection by combined N-acetylcysteine and D-methionine in guinea pig noise-induced hearing loss.

Po-Hsuan Wu, Nicholas Cheng, Wu-Chia Lo, Chih-Ming Chang, Po-Wen Cheng, Shing-Hwa Liu

Abstract read
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Article in Head & face medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Po-Hsuan WuDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Nicholas ChengDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Wu-Chia LoDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Chih-Ming ChangDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Po-Wen ChengDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan. powenjapan@yahoo.com.tw.
Shing-Hwa LiuInstitute of Toxicology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. shinghwaliu@ntu.edu.tw.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study examined whether combining antioxidants could enhance protection and permit lower dosing for treating noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The therapeutic effects of D-methionine (DMET) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) were evaluated in a guinea pig model.

methodsNinety-six guinea pigs were randomly assigned to eight groups: control, saline, three NAC-only groups (100, 150, 200 mg/kg), and three NAC + DMET groups (100, 200, 400 mg/kg). One hour after six hours of broadband noise exposure, treatments were administered intraperitoneally every 12 h for seven days. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured before exposure and on day 14. Cochlear tissues were analyzed for Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺-ATPase activities and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels.

resultsNo significant body weight differences were observed between saline and treated groups. NAC alone and in combination with DMET improved ABR thresholds in a dose-dependent manner. The combined NAC (200 mg/kg) + DMET (400 mg/kg) group achieved complete ABR recovery. Noise-induced reductions in ATPase activities were dose-dependently reversed by both treatments. The highest-dose combination restored 87.3% of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and 94.7% of Ca²⁺-ATPase activity compared to controls. LPO levels declined with increasing NAC doses, with NAC 200 mg/kg alone showing the greatest reduction.

conclusionsCombined NAC (200 mg/kg) and DMET (400 mg/kg) yielded the most substantial functional protection against NIHL. This combination was accompanied by lower LPO levels and higher Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺-ATPase activities in the cochlear lateral wall, indicating a potential role in maintaining cochlear homeostasis following acoustic injury.

Indexed as

AcetylcysteineAntioxidantsHearing Loss, Noise-InducedMethionineAnimalsCalcium-Transporting ATPasesDisease Models, AnimalDose-Response Relationship, DrugDrug Therapy, CombinationEvoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain StemFree Radical ScavengersGuinea PigsLipid PeroxidationMaleRandom AllocationSodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPaseAcetylcysteineAntioxidantsCalcium-Transporting ATPasesFree Radical ScavengersMethionineSodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPaseAntioxidantD-methionineHearing lossN-acetylcysteineNoise

Identifiers

PMID41546041
PMCPMC12952052

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.