Abstract
Different organs respond differently to cisplatin (CDDP)-induced toxicity. Oleuropein (OLE) is a natural phenolic antioxidant. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential protective effect of OLE against CDDP-induced ototoxicity by evaluating expression of genes associated with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and repair in cochlear cells. House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) cells were treated using CDDP, OLE, and OLE-CDDP. The water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay was used for monitoring cell viability. Deoxyribonucleic acid damage in cells due to the CDDP, OLE, and combination treatments was determined using a flow-cytometric kit. The change in the expression of 84 genes associated with CCDP, OLE, and OLE-CDDP treatments that induced DNA damage was tested using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction array. Changes ≥3-fold were considered significant. House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 cell viability was significantly reduced by CDDP. The OLE-CDDP combination restored the cell viability. Cisplatin increased the H2AX ratio, while OLE-CDDP combination decreased it. Some of the DNA damage-associated genes whose expression was upregulated with CDDP were downregulated with OLE-CDDP, while the expression of genes such as Gadd45g and Rev1 was further downregulated. The expression of DNA repair-related Abl1, Dbd2, Rad52, and Trp53 genes was downregulated with CDDP, whereas their expression was upregulated with OLE-CDDP treatment. In cochlear cells, the OLE-CDDP combination downregulated DNA damage-associated gene expression relative to that upregulated mainly by CDDP. The results revealed that OLE has a potential protective effect on CDDP-induced ototoxicity in cochlear cells by altering the expression of DNA damage-related genes.