Ototoxicity: Understanding Oxidative Mechanisms

tice and research.Through understanding the underlying mechanisms of ototoxic hearing loss, we have the very real possibility of developing new drugs in the near future that either do not have ototoxicity as a side effect or work specifically to prevent ototoxicity as a side effect of other drugs. The mechanisms of ototoxic damage and protection can be complex but some general concepts apply. In virtually all scientific journals and even in the popular press, we read about “oxidative damage” and “oxidative stress” as a factor in many degenerative processes. Although oxidative processes are part of normal metabolic activity, they also play a major role in many disease processes and in aging. Oxidative damage is also a common factor in cisplatin-induced, aminoglycoside-induced, and noise-induced hearing loss. Therefore audiologists and others working in hearing loss prevention should have a working knowledge of oxidative mechanisms. The following is a list of terms and concepts that may be helpful in reading the articles on ototoxicity in this issue of JAAA.