Novel QUEST MRI In Vivo Measurement of Noise-induced Oxidative Stress in the Cochlea

Effective personalized therapeutic treatment for hearing loss is currently not available. Cochlear oxidative stress is commonly identified in the pathogenesis of hearing loss based upon findings from excised tissue, thus suggesting a promising druggable etiology. However, the timing and site(s) to target for anti-oxidant treatment in vivo are not clear. Here, we address this long-standing problem with QUEnch-assiSTed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (QUEST MRI), which non-invasively measures excessive production of free radicals without an exogenous contrast agent. QUEST MRI is hypothesized to be sensitive to noise-evoked cochlear oxidative stress in vivo. Rats exposed to a loud noise event that resulted in hair cell loss and reduced hearing capability had a supra-normal MRI R1 value in their cochleae that could be corrected with anti-oxidants, thus non-invasively indicating cochlear oxidative stress. A gold-standard oxidative damage biomarker [heme oxidase 1 (HO-1)] supported the QUEST MRI result. The results from this study highlight QUEST MRI as a potentially transformative measurement of cochlear oxidative stress in vivo that can be used as a biomarker for improving individual evaluation of anti-oxidant treatment efficacy in currently incurable oxidative stress-based forms of hearing loss.