Decreasing dorsal cochlear nucleus activity ameliorates noise-induced tinnitus perception in mice

Abstract Background The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is a region known to integrate somatosensory and auditory inputs and is identified as a potential key structure in the generation of phantom sound perception, especially noise-induced tinnitus. Yet, how altered homeostatic plasticity of the DCN induces and maintains the sensation of tinnitus is not clear. Here, we chemogenetically decrease activity of a subgroup of DCN neurons, Ca 2+ /Calmodulin kinase 2 α (CaMKII α )-positive DCN neurons, using Gi-coupled human M4 Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (hM4Di DREADDs), to investigate their role in noise-induced tinnitus. Results Mice were exposed to loud noise (9–11kHz, 90dBSPL, 1h, followed by 2h of silence), and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (GPIAS) were recorded 2 days before and 2 weeks after noise exposure to identify animals with a significantly decreased inhibition of startle, indicating tinnitus but without permanent hearing loss. Neuronal activity of CaMKII α + neurons expressing hM4Di in the DCN was lowered by administration of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO). We found that acutely decreasing firing rate of CaMKII α + DCN units decrease tinnitus-like responses ( p = 3e −3, n = 11 mice), compared to the control group that showed no improvement in GPIAS (control virus; CaMKII α -YFP + CNO, p = 0.696, n = 7 mice). Extracellular recordings confirmed CNO to decrease unit firing frequency of CaMKII α -hM4Di+ mice and alter best frequency and tuning width of response to sound. However, these effects were not seen if CNO had been previously administered during the noise exposure ( n = 6 experimental and 6 control mice). Conclusion We found that lowering DCN activity in mice displaying tinnitus-related behavior reduces tinnitus, but lowering DCN activity during noise exposure does not prevent noise-induced tinnitus. Our results suggest that CaMKII α -positive cells in the DCN are not crucial for tinnitus induction but play a significant role in maintaining tinnitus perception in mice.