Cochlear PK/PD — validated parameters

Source agent: Domain 1 (Sonnet 4.6), 2026-04-23. Consumer: hydrogel_phase4e_cochlear_pkpd.py + any future delivery model for h03/h04/h06/h09.

Parameter table

ParameterLiterature valueSource (page/table)ConditionsStatusUsed in
Human scala tympani volume34.2 ± 7 μL (range 23–50, n=30)2021-dhanasingh-scala-tympani-volume (Front Surg, μCT cadaveric)Human✅ primaryh09 Phase 4e
Total human perilymph (ST + SV)~93 μL2016-ekdale-human-cochlear-hydrodynamics (μCT FE model)Human✅ primaryh09 Phase 4e
Middle ear gentamicin t½~70–75 min (k ≈ 0.55/h)2018-salt-plontke-pharmacokinetic-principles-inner-ear Fig 4Intratympanic, human data✅ primaryh09 Phase 4e
Middle ear dex-phosphate t½~40 min (k ≈ 1.0/h)2018-salt-plontke-pharmacokinetic-principles-inner-ear Fig 4Intratympanic✅ primaryh09 Phase 4e
RWM permeability (TMPA, low-MW ion)1.9 × 10⁻⁸ cm/s2001-salt-ma-quantification-rwm-permeability (paywalled abstract + PubMed)Guinea pig⚠ paywall (full text needed)h09 Phase 4e baseline
ST clearance t½ (small molecules, guinea pig)60 min (k ≈ 0.69/h)2001-salt-ma-quantification-rwm-permeabilityGuinea pig⚠ species scalingh09 Phase 4e
Cochlear aqueduct CSF entry~30 nL/min2015-salt-hartsock-perilymph-kinetics-fitc-dextran (J ARO, guinea pig)Guinea pig✅ primaryh09 Phase 4e
Large-dextran (70 kDa) perilymph t½230 min (k ≈ 0.18/h)2015-salt-hartsock-perilymph-kinetics-fitc-dextranGuinea pig✅ primaryh09 Phase 4e
ST→tissue fast exchange t½6 min2015-salt-hartsock-perilymph-kinetics-fitc-dextranGuinea pig✅ primary
Serpin fraction of perilymph protein27.8%2010-bhatt-proteomics-perilymph-csfMouse✅ primarysuggests peptide proteolysis is attenuated

Red flags in current h09 Phase 4e model

Model constantValueProblem
K_RWM = 0.02/h2%/h for 14 kDa peptideCitation phantom. Claims “Salt 2011”; no such paper with MW scaling found. Stokes-Einstein scaling TMPA (200 Da, 1.9e-8 cm/s) → 14 kDa gives 0.002–0.004/h — 5–10× lower than model.
PERILYMPH_VOL_UL = 7070 μLUnsourced. Real values: 34 μL (ST only, RWM-accessible) or 93 μL (total ST+SV).
K_CLEAR_MIDDLE_EAR = 0.35/h2h t½Too slow vs literature (0.55–1.0/h measured). For a gel depot, mechanism is zero-order release, not first-order clearance — conflated in current model.
K_PROTEOLYSIS = 1.4/h30 min t½No perilymph peptide t½ ever measured. Bhatt 2009 shows perilymph is serpin-rich → proteolysis likely slower. See also rada16-geometry — assembled RADA16 gel t½ is days to weeks, not minutes.

Translation notes

  • TMPA (trimethylphenylammonium) permeability is benchmark for ions; peptide scaling requires MW⁻⁰·⁵ assumption (Stokes-Einstein). Proper estimation requires the original Salt 2001 methods paper (paywalled, need institutional access).
  • Washington University Cochlear Fluids Simulator (http://oto2.wustl.edu) was offline during retrieval — Wayback Machine may have snapshot with human default params.

Connections