Epac1 Alleviates Senescence in Auditory Hair Cells via the Ferroptosis

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in Epac1 and ferroptosis-related proteins in aged mice and the House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) cells, with the goal of elucidating their potential role in age-related hearing loss. METHODS: The expression of Epac1 in the cochlea of C57BL/6J mice was examined by using immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis. To further verify the role of Epac1 in age-related hearing loss, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected into HEI-OC1 cells, resulting in the downregulation of Epac1. RESULTS: The results revealed a decrease in Epac1 expression in the cochlea of aged mice. After downregulating the level of Epac1 in vitro, a greater level of ferroptosis was observed, and the aging process was accelerated. CONCLUSIONS: Epac1 plays a crucial role in the aging process of auditory hair cells via ferroptosis.