Systematic Transcriptome Analysis of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Pathogenesis Suggests Inflammatory Activities and Multiple Susceptible Molecules and Pathways

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is characterized by damage to cochlear neurons and associated hair cells; however, a systematic evaluation of NIHL pathogenesis is still lacking. Here, we systematically evaluated differentially expressed genes of 22 cochlear samples in an NIHL mouse model. We performed Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Core modules were detected using protein–protein interactions and WGCNA with functional annotation, diagnostic value evaluation, and experimental validation. Pooled functional annotation suggested the involvement of multiple inflammatory pathways, including the TNF signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, rheumatoid arthritis, and p53 signaling pathway. The core modules suggested that responses to cytokines, heat, cAMP, ATP, mechanical stimuli, and immune responses were important in NIHL pathogenesis. These activities primarily occurred on the external side of the plasma membrane, the extracellular region, and the nucleus. Binding activities, including CCR2 receptor binding, protein binding, and transcription factor binding, may be important. Additionally, the hub molecules with diagnostic value included Relb, Hspa1b, Ccl2, Ptgs2, Ldlr, Plat, and Ccl17. An evaluation of Relb and Hspa1b protein levels showed that Relb was upregulated in spiral ganglion neurons, which might have diagnostic value. In conclusion, this study indicates that the inflammatory response is involved in auditory organ changes in NIHL pathogenesis; moreover, several molecules and activities have essential and subtle influences that have translational potential for pharmacological intervention.