“Proinflammatory Dynorphin-B measurement in brainstem-stimulated or control mice, from cochlear fluid”,

1. Research Question: Will brainstem stimulation increase the concentration of the pro-inflammatory compound Dynorphin B in mouse cochlear fluid compared to controls?

2. Hypothesis (prediction): Brainstem stimulation will increase the concentration of the pro-inflammatory compound Dynorphin B in mouse cochlear fluid compared to controls.


3. Method to Test the Hypothesis: Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assays (ELISA) specialized to detect Dynorphin B will be used to collect data to test the prediction.

In previous experiments steroid hormones were measured from locus coeruleus (brainstem-stimulated) or unstimulated mice and the stimulation caused a significant increase in blood serum corticosterone and cortisone, both of which are anti-inflammatory.  The positive results of those preliminary experiments are in preparation for publication and have provided conclusive evidence that with our techniques very small volumes of quite diffuse compounds can be quantitatively measured in mouse bio fluids.

This round a pro-inflammatory compound (Dynorphin B) will be measured in pooled cochlear fluid of stimulated or non-stimulated mice.  The brainstem nucleus will be changed from the locus coeruleus to the superior olivary complex containing the medial superior olive which gives rise to the lateral olivocochlear efferents that directly innervate the cochlea.  In our model (Sahley et al, 2019), we expect those efferents to directly deliver the pro-inflammatory compound Dynorphin B to the cochlea which is thought to induce auditory dysfunction or exacerbate pre-existing auditory dysfunction.