ABSTRACT/SUMMARY- RESEARCH SERVICES CORE-002 This Research Services Core contributes to the investigation of the neural and molecular bases of presbycusis, (age-related hearing loss ? ARHL) therein provides essential knowledge for future preventative and curative translational research initiatives. Specific aspects of the neural and molecular etiologies of the functional features of age-related declines and therapeutic interventions being tested, will be explored in collaboration with the multidisciplinary Projects of this P01. We will apply molecular, cellular and systems biology hearing science, and neuroscientific techniques to support the investigations of functionally defined age-related changes, and their modifications by the novel, proposed therapies. This Research Services Core-002 will complement the other projects by performing standardized and repetitive procedures . SPECIFIC AIM 1: Determine if hormonal supplementation can prevent or slow down the progression of presbycusis. Core Aim 1, Service Goals: Gene Expression- real-time PCR and in situ hybridization. Proteomics- Quantitative immunocytochemistry and Western blots. Anatomy- brain tissue processing for immunocytochemistry, cutting and mounting sections, cover slipping, imaging and data analyses, and graphics for reporting and publications. Hormone and blood assays: Perform blood chemistry: and blood pressure measurements on rodents. SPECIFIC AIM 2: Determine the ability of enriched acoustic environments (AAEs) to arrest salient features of presbycusis. Effects of administering AAEs will index peripheral and central components and biomarkers of ARHL at systems, cellular and molecular levels. Core Aim 2, Service Goals ? Gene expression, molecular biology and immunocytochemistry experiments: Carry out and provide routine perfusions, brain tissue processing for immunocytochemistry, and processing for gene and protein expression experiments; image and data analyses, and graphics for figure production and reporting. SPECIFIC AIM 3: Identify cellular and molecular pathway principles governing brain neuropathology associated with changes in neural pathways associated with central gain mechanisms in cases of ARHL. Relations between central gain change pathway severity quantitative metrics and molecular, physiological and anatomical biomarker changes will be examined consistent with the objective of developing therapeutic interventions to alleviate deficits in aging animals. Core Aim 3, Service Goals: Provide routine molecular biological and histological support for all experiments to examine relations between functional changes identified in Projects 2 and 3, and ARHL biomarkers.