Serofendic acid promotes survival of auditory hair cells and neurons of mice.

Serofendic acid is a newly discovered neuroprotective substance derived from fetal calf serum. It has previously been shown to protect cortical neurons from the cytotoxicity of nitric oxide, glutamate and oxygen species. In the present study, we examined the protective effects of serofendic acid on auditory hair cells exposed to aminoglycoside toxicity using explant cultures of mouse auditory epithelia. We also determined the effect of serofendic acid on auditory neurons experiencing neurotrophin deprivation using primary cultures of mouse spiral ganglion neurons. Supplementation with serofendic acid significantly promoted the survival of auditory hair cells and neurons, and its protective effects were stronger than those of the caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. These findings demonstrate the great potential of serofendic acid for protection of the auditory system.