Quantitative relationships of the interaction between sound and kanamycin.

It is well known that the ototoxicity resulting from the use of aminoglycoside antibiotics in experimental animals can be augmented by intense sound. However, the dose-effect relationship of this interaction is not known. This study was designed to determine the shape of this dose-effect relationship in guinea pigs at sound intensities approaching those that would be experienced by patients receiving aminoglycoside antibiotics. We found a linear relationship between the probit of the percent of missing cochlear outer hair cells and decibel-A scale sound intensity when the animals were treated with kanamycin plus white noise ranging from 115 to 45 dBA.