A Novel Active Peptide from Rapana venosa Protects Against Gentamicin-Induced Sensory Hair Cell Loss in Zebrafish

Gentamicin is a common aminoglycoside antibiotic used in clinical practice. However, its use is being increasingly restricted owing to its adverse effect on the inner ear. In this study, we tried to elucidate the mechanism behind the otoprotective effects exerted by a novel active peptide from Rapana venosa in zebrafish larvae. Our results showed that the combined application of gentamicin and this novel peptide helped the sensory hair cells reduce the uptake of gentamicin and subsequently restore the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-derived-2-like 2 ( Nrf2 ), manganese superoxide dismutase ( Mn-SOD ), and copper/zinc superoxide dismutase ( Cu/Zn-SOD ). This, in turn, reduced excessive reactive oxygen species production and the incidence of apoptosis in sensory hair cells upon gentamicin administration. As a result, this peptide protected the sensory hair cells from gentamicin-induced loss. Our findings provide new insight into the application potential of an active peptide derived from marine food resources in the field of hearing protection.