Cochlear transcriptome after noise trauma and dexamethasone therapy in mice

In order to elucidate molecular mechanisms of noise-induced hearing loss and dexamethasone therapy in the cochlea (inner ear), transcriptome of cochlear samples was analyzed after induction of hearing loss by exposure to intense noise in mice. Dexamethasone was intraperitoneally injected immediately following the noise trauma. Cochlear transcriptome was analyzed at 12h and 24h following the noise trauma and dexamethasone administration. The samples included cochlear RNA from 1) Baseline, neither noise exposure nor dexamethasone, 2) Noise only, 3) 12h after noise and dexamethasone administration (Dex12h), 4) 12h after noise and control saline (Control12h), 5) 24h after noise and dexamethasone administration (Dex24h), and 6) 24h after noise and control saline (Control24h) groups (6 mice for each group).