N-Acetyl-L-Leucine Accelerates Vestibular Compensation after Unilateral Labyrinthectomy by Action in the Cerebellum and Thalamus

An acute unilateral vestibular lesion leads to a vestibular tone imbalance with nystagmus, head roll tilt and postural imbalance. These deficits gradually decrease over days to weeks due to central vestibular compensation (VC). This study investigated the effects of i.v. N-acetyl-DL-leucine, N-acetyl-L-leucine and N-acetyl-D-leucine on VC using behavioural testing and serial [18F]-Fluoro-desoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG)-μPET in a rat model of unilateral chemical labyrinthectomy (UL). Vestibular behavioural testing included measurements of nystagmus, head roll tilt and postural imbalance as well as sequential whole-brain [18F]-FDG-μPET was done before and on days 1,3,7 and 15 after UL. A significant reduction of postural imbalance scores was identified on day 7 in the N-acetyl-DL-leucine (p急性单侧前庭病变可引发前庭张力失衡，伴随眼震、头滚转倾斜及姿势失衡。此类功能缺损会在数天至数周内随着中枢前庭代偿（central vestibular compensation, VC）逐渐减轻。本研究采用单侧化学性迷路切除术（unilateral chemical labyrinthectomy, UL）大鼠模型，结合行为学检测与连续[18F]-氟代脱氧葡萄糖([18F]-FDG)微型正电子发射断层显像（μPET），探究了静脉注射N-乙酰-DL-亮氨酸、N-乙酰-L-亮氨酸及N-乙酰-D-亮氨酸对中枢前庭代偿的影响。前庭行为学检测涵盖眼震、头滚转倾斜、姿势失衡的相关指标测量，并在术前以及单侧化学性迷路术后第1、3、7、15天依次开展全脑连续[18F]-FDG-μPET扫描。研究发现，N-乙酰-DL-亮氨酸组大鼠的姿势失衡评分在第7天出现显著降低（p