The effect of D-methionine on cochlear oxidative state with and without cisplatin administration: mechanisms of otoprotection.

D-methionine (D-met) protects against cisplatin (CDDP) ototoxicity, but the mechanisms are not well understood. This study investigated D-met protection of cochlear oxidative state as measured by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR), and malondiadehyde (MDA) levels. The design comprised four groups of five rats each: (1) a saline control group, (2) a CDDP-only-treated group, (3) a CDDP group pretreated with D-met, and (4) a group receiving only D-met. Auditory brainstem response testing (ABR) was performed before and 3 days after injection. CDDP alone caused marked hearing loss; significantly reduced SOD, CAT, and GR levels; and increased MDA levels, but D-met pretreatment protected against these changes. These studies suggest that D-met protects cochlear antioxidant enzyme levels from CDDP-induced decrements. The excellent correlation of enzyme levels with hearing loss and weight loss suggests that antioxidant enzyme level protection may underlie, at least in part, D-met's otoprotective action.