[Changes of BK(Ca) on vascular striaepericytes of D-galactose-induced aging model in guinea pigs].

Objective The aging model of guinea pigs induced by D-galactose was set up to investigate the changes of BKCa expression and function on cochlear pericytes and their relationship with age-related hearing loss. Methods Thirty healthy 8-week-old guinea pigs were randomly divided into three groups, with 10 in each group: D-galactose aging model group, subcutaneous injection of D-galactose (500 mg/kg) daily for 6 weeks; saline control group, the same amount of saline was injected into the neck of the aging model group for 6 weeks; the blank control group, no treatment was performed. The threshold of auditory brainstem response (ABR) was detected. The content of BKCa in the perivascular cells of the guinea pig cochlear cells was detected by immunofluorescence technique. The changes of peripheral current density and BKCa current were detected by patch clamp technique. The data were analyzed by GraphPad Prism software. Results Compared with the saline group and the control group, the ABR threshold and the amplitude of the wave I were significantly decreased in the aging model group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the expression of BKCa in the vascular pericytes of guinea pigs in the aging model group was significantly reduced (1.00±0.08 vs 0.27±0.03,the difference was statistically significant P<0.01), and the cell current density and BKCa net current value were also significantly reduced with statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusions D-galactose can successfully induce guinea pig aging model, in which BKCa expression decreases and net current value decreases in pericytes of cochlear striavascularis, and changes in BKCa expression and function may be related to age-related hearing loss. Key words: Presbycusis; Models, animal; Galactose; Pericytes; Potassium channels