Oxidative stress and Ménière's disease and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Abstract

It is known that oxidative stress plays some role in inner ear diseases, such as sensorineural hearing loss due to aging. Free radicals are produced as a result of oxidative stress, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide. Radical scavengers and antioxidants play a role in the protection against oxidative stress. Although some basic data have indicated a relationship between oxidative stress and endolymphatic hydrops, no clinical data have been published from patients. Diacron reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM) were measured by the Free Radical Analytical system 4 (FRAS 4) from the blood of 39 patients. The subjects consisted of 16 controls, 13 patients with Ménière's disease, and 10 patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The d-ROM value of the controls was 307.3 42.5 U Carr, compared with 350.1 50.5 U Carr in BPPV and 352.2 71.5 U Carr in Ménière's disease subjects. Although no statistically significant differences were seen among the groups, patients with BPPV and Ménière's disease had slightly higher values than the controls, suggesting that free radicals were being produced in patients with both Ménière's disease and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. It may be useful to control dizziness or vertigo by reducing free radicals as a product of oxidative stress, and controlling oxidative stress may be a valuable approach in the treatment of patients with dizziness due to Ménière's disease or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Expression of circadian clock genes in leukocytes of patients with Meniere's disease

“…48 Within the postulated mechanisms behind the formation of endolymphatic hydrops in MD, oxidative stress of the inner ear was thought of as one of the causal factors. [49][50][51] Overproduction of reactive oxygen species is well known as the major contributor to the damage of hair cells in acquired hearing loss. 52 It was also hypothesized that oxidative stress involved in endolymphatic hydrops contribute to the inner cellular damage and sensorineural hearing loss in the later stage of MD.…”

“…Within the postulated mechanisms behind the formation of endolymphatic hydrops in MD, oxidative stress of the inner ear was thought of as one of the causal factors 49–51 . Overproduction of reactive oxygen species is well known as the major contributor to the damage of hair cells in acquired hearing loss 52 .…”

Melatonin Exerts Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Neuromodulatory Effects That Could Potentially Be Useful in the Treatment of Vertigo

“…Vertigo patients show higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide metabolites than healthy subjects, as shown by multiple reports from subjects with different vestibular syndromes, such as BPPV, MD, or unspecified situations of chronic subjective vertigo. It includes higher levels of hydrogen peroxide, oxidation products of thiol and other ROS, and lower activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione content, and catalase [17][18][19][20][21]. Oxidative stress may be due to the physiological stress that vertigo induces [18].…”