The development of auditory synapses is a key process for the maturation of hearing function. However, it is still on debate regarding whether the development of auditory synapses is dominated by acquired sound stimulations. In this review, we summarize relevant publications in recent decades to address this issue. Most reported data suggest that extrinsic sound stimulations do affect, but not govern the development of periphery auditory synapses. Overall, periphery auditory synapses develop and mature according to its intrinsic mechanism to build up the synaptic connections between sensory neurons and/or interneurons.
Objective To study characteristics of hearing loss after exposure to moderate noise exposure in C57BL/6J mice.Methods Male C57BL/6J mice with normal hearing at age of 5-6 weeks were chosen for this study.The mice were randomly selected to be studied immediately after exposure(Group P0),or 1 day(Group P1),3 days(Group P3),7 days(Group P7)or 14 days(P14)after exposure.Their before exposure condition served as the normal control.All mice were exposed to a broad-band white noise at 100 dB SPL for 2 hours,ABR thresholds were used to estimate hearing status at each time point.Results ABR threshold elevation was seen at every tested frequency at P0(P<0.01).Elevation at high-frequencies(16 kHz and 32 kHz)was greater than at lower frequencies(4 kHz and 8 kHz,P<0.05).From P1 to P14,ABR thresholds continuously improved,and there was no significant difference between P14 and before exposure(P>0.05).Conclusion There is a frequency specific response to 100 dB SPL broad-band white noise in C57BL/6J mice,with the high-frequency being more susceptible.Hearing loss induced by moderate noise exposure appears reversible in C57BL/6J mice.
