Histopathological Change of Age-Related Hearing Loss in Female Advanced-Aged CBA/CaJ Mice

    October 2025 in “ PLoS ONE ”
    Yoshiaki Inuzuka, Kunio Mizutari, Takaomi Kurioka, Jun Suzuki, Yutaka Koizumi, Koji Araki, Akihiro Shiotani
    Studysummary In this study, researchers investigated age-related hearing loss in advanced-age CBA/CaJ mice and found combined cochlear damage from chronic sound exposure and metabolic changes linked to oxidative stress, which may require addressing both etiologies for prevention and treatment. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    This study on age-related hearing loss in advanced-aged female CBA/CaJ mice reveals significant cochlear pathology, including outer hair cell loss, synapse loss, and oxidative stress. Using 11 aged and 12 young mice, researchers found that outer hair cell loss was most pronounced at 11.3 kHz, while synapse loss occurred at 5.6 kHz. Additional findings include atrophy in the stria vascularis, endolymphatic hydrops, and spiral ganglion cell reduction. Increased oxidative stress markers suggest that hearing loss is linked to chronic sound exposure and metabolic changes due to mitochondrial dysfunction. The study emphasizes the need for interventions targeting these etiologies to prevent and treat age-related hearing loss.
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