Hair cell toxicology: With the help of a little fish.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of preclinical animal models and mechanism-based screening methods.
PubMed 36582469 · doi:10.3389/fcell.2022.1085225
What was done
This review examined the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae as an alternative in vivo model to study inner ear hair cell toxicology and screen for protective compounds. It evaluated the accessibility of mechanosensory hair cells located on the external lateral line of zebrafish compared to mammalian inner ear structures encased within temporal bone.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative data or effect sizes. It notes that the superficial location of zebrafish lateral line hair cells allows direct in vivo observation of damage caused by common ototoxins (such as cisplatin and aminoglycoside antibiotics) and enables high-throughput screening of thousands of potential otoprotective molecules that would be impractical in rodent models.
Why it matters
Utilizing zebrafish models accelerates the identification of ototoxins and discovery of candidate otoprotective drugs prior to validation in mammalian models and clinical trials.
Limits
This is a narrative review presenting no original empirical data or human clinical evidence. Zebrafish lateral line biology may not fully reflect mammalian inner ear pharmacokinetics, drug delivery across the blood-labyrinth barrier, or human physiological responses.
Cited by
- supports Fish have a lateral line organ containing hair cells similar to inner ear hair cells that detect vibration, and transparent zebrafish lateral lines are used to test drug ototoxicity.