Exposure to high-altitude hypobaric hypoxic environment induces low-frequency hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice: Mediated by slowing down the postsynaptic electrical signal transmission speed in the cochlear-inferior colliculus auditory signaling pathway

Exposure to a high-altitude hypobaric hypoxia environment can induce low-frequency hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice, and the process of auditory response regulation and adaptation of mice to this environmental stimulus exhibits time dependence. Further analysis revealed that this low-frequency hearing loss is closely associated with the slowing of postsynaptic electrical signal transmission speed in the cochlea-inferior colliculus auditory conduction pathway; the mechanism underlying this slowing of electrical signal transmission may be related to changes in voltage or resistance at various sites of the auditory pathway during sound signal conduction. Based on auditory physiological mechanisms, it is hypothesized that the aforementioned abnormal changes in voltage or resistance may be associated with endolymphatic hydrops, suggesting that endolymphatic hydrops may be one of the potential key links through which the high-altitude hypobaric hypoxia environment affects auditory conduction function.