419
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
J.A. Sisneros (ed.), Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics, Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology 877, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21059-9_18
Chemical Ototoxicity of the Fish Inner Ear
and Lateral Line
Allison B. Coffi n and John Ramcharitar
Abstract Hair cell-driven mechanosensory systems are crucial for successful execution of a number of behaviors in fi shes, and have emerged as good models for
exploring questions relevant to human hearing. This review focuses on ototoxic
effects in the inner ear and lateral line system of fi shes. We specifi cally examine
studies where chemical ototoxins such as aminoglycoside antibiotics have been
employed as tools to disable the lateral line. Lateral line ablation results in alterations to feeding behavior and orientation to water current in a variety of species.
However, neither behavior is abolished in the presence of additional sensory cues,
supporting the hypothesis that many fi sh behaviors are driven by multisensory integration. Within biomedical research, the larval zebrafi sh lateral line has become an
important model system for understanding signaling mechanisms that contribute to
hair cell death and for developing novel pharmacological therapies that protect hair
cells from ototoxic damage. Furthermore, given that fi shes robustly regenerate damaged hair cells, ototoxin studies in fi shes have broadened our understanding of the
molecular and genetic events in an innately regenerative system, offering potential
targets for mammalian hair cell regeneration. Collectively, studies of fi sh mechanosensory systems have yielded insight into fi sh behavior and in mechanisms of hair
cell death, protection, and regeneration.
Keywords Hair cell • Lateral line • Ear • Auditory • Fish
A. B. Coffi n (*)
Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience , Washington State University ,
Vancouver , WA , USA
e-mail: Allison.coffi n@wsu.edu
J. Ramcharitar
Department of Biology , St. Mary’s College of Maryland , St Marys City , MD , USA
College of Medicine , International American University , Vieux Fort , St. Lucia , West-Indies
e-mail: jramcharitar@iau.edu.lc
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
J.A. Sisneros (ed.), Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics, Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology 877, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21059-9_18
Chemical Ototoxicity of the Fish Inner Ear
and Lateral Line
Allison B. Coffi n and John Ramcharitar
Abstract Hair cell-driven mechanosensory systems are crucial for successful execution of a number of behaviors in fi shes, and have emerged as good models for
exploring questions relevant to human hearing. This review focuses on ototoxic
effects in the inner ear and lateral line system of fi shes. We specifi cally examine
studies where chemical ototoxins such as aminoglycoside antibiotics have been
employed as tools to disable the lateral line. Lateral line ablation results in alterations to feeding behavior and orientation to water current in a variety of species.
However, neither behavior is abolished in the presence of additional sensory cues,
supporting the hypothesis that many fi sh behaviors are driven by multisensory integration. Within biomedical research, the larval zebrafi sh lateral line has become an
important model system for understanding signaling mechanisms that contribute to
hair cell death and for developing novel pharmacological therapies that protect hair
cells from ototoxic damage. Furthermore, given that fi shes robustly regenerate damaged hair cells, ototoxin studies in fi shes have broadened our understanding of the
molecular and genetic events in an innately regenerative system, offering potential
targets for mammalian hair cell regeneration. Collectively, studies of fi sh mechanosensory systems have yielded insight into fi sh behavior and in mechanisms of hair
cell death, protection, and regeneration.
Keywords Hair cell • Lateral line • Ear • Auditory • Fish
A. B. Coffi n (*)
Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience , Washington State University ,
Vancouver , WA , USA
e-mail: Allison.coffi n@wsu.edu
J. Ramcharitar
Department of Biology , St. Mary’s College of Maryland , St Marys City , MD , USA
College of Medicine , International American University , Vieux Fort , St. Lucia , West-Indies
e-mail: jramcharitar@iau.edu.lc