Caffeine Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis in Auditory Hair Cells via the SGK1/HIF-1α Pathway

The study involved 27 mice and 24 rats and investigated the effects of caffeine on auditory hair cells, crucial for hearing. It found that caffeine can induce autophagy (a cellular self-protection mechanism) and apoptosis (programmed cell death) in these cells via the SGK1/HIF-1α pathway. The research showed that caffeine treatment resulted in significant auditory threshold shifts and damage to cochlear hair cells, stria vascularis, and spiral ganglion neurons. The study also found that caffeine can have a detrimental effect on hearing recovery after acoustic trauma. The research suggests that caffeine concentrations less than 1 mM may have a protective role against apoptosis in HEI-OC1 cells. However, the exact impact of caffeine on hearing cells is still unclear, and further research is needed.