Superoxide has been implicated as a contributing factor to cochlear pathology from a
number of sources, including noise and ototoxic drugs. The effects of NADPH oxidase-
dependent superoxide on the cochlea were investigated in the current study using paraquat
(PQ). PQ is a toxic herbicide that causes tissue damage by generating superoxide through
reduction of molecular oxygen in a reaction catalyzed by NADPH oxidase. The current study
examined the effects of round window PQ administration on inferior colliculus (IC) evoked …