Effect of perinatal and postnatal thiamine deficiency on auditory pathway of the Wistar-Albino rats

Abstract Objective: In this study, we created an animal model to demonstrate the effects of thiamine on the hearing pathways of new-borns during pregnancy and lactation by inducing a dietary thiamine deficiency in the mother. Methods: The study included 16 female Wistar albino rats. The animals were separated into four groups and provided the appropriate amounts of dietary thiamine according to their groups during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and lactation periods. Three pups from each mother were included in the study, and 12 pups were selected from each group. On the fortieth day after birth, the auditory pathways of 48 pups in the 4 groups were examined electro physiologically and ultra-structurally. Results: In Group N-N, morphology of hair cells stereocilia degeneration was not obtained in all turns of cochlea. In Group N-T, Inner Hair Cells (IHCs) and Outher Hair Cells (OHCs) stereocilia didn’t show degeneration in all turns of cochlea but had rupture inrows of HCs stereocilia. In group T-N IHCs stereocilia less degeneration was observed in all turns of cochlea. OHC stereocilia partial loss was observed only in basal turn of cochlea. In Group T-T IHCs stereocilia was observed less degeneration and rupture in all turns of cochlea. Conclusion: Thiamine is vital for the development of cochlear hair cells during both prenatal and postnatal periods. Even partial deficiency of thiamine causes significant degeneration to the auditory pathway. Level of evidence: The level of evidence of this article is 5. This article is an experimental animal and laboratory study.

摘要 目的：本研究构建动物模型，通过诱导母鼠膳食硫胺素（thiamine）缺乏，探究硫胺素对孕期及哺乳期新生子代听觉通路的影响。
方法：本研究纳入16只雌性Wistar白化大鼠（Wistar albino rats），将其分为4组，在孕前、孕期及哺乳期阶段，按分组给予对应剂量的硫胺素膳食。每只母鼠的3只幼仔纳入本研究，每组最终选取12只幼仔。于幼鼠出生后第40天，对4组共48只幼仔的听觉通路开展电生理及超微结构检测。
结果：N-N组：耳蜗（cochlea）各转位未观察到毛细胞（hair cells）静纤毛（stereocilia）变性。N-T组：耳蜗各转位的内毛细胞（Inner Hair Cells, IHCs）与外毛细胞（Outer Hair Cells, OHCs）静纤毛未出现变性，但毛细胞静纤毛排列出现断裂。T-N组：耳蜗各转位的内毛细胞静纤毛仅见轻度变性，外毛细胞静纤毛仅在耳蜗底转出现部分缺失。T-T组：耳蜗各转位的内毛细胞静纤毛可见轻度变性及断裂。
结论：硫胺素对于产前及产后阶段的耳蜗毛细胞发育至关重要，即使是轻度的硫胺素缺乏也会对听觉通路造成显著损伤。
证据等级：本文证据等级为5级，属于实验动物及实验室研究。