Quantitative Comparison of Avian and Mammalian Physiologies for Parameterization of Physiologically Based Kinetic Models

Physiologically based kinetic (PBK) models facilitate chemical risk assessment by predicting in vivo exposure while reducing the need for animal testing. PBK models for mammals have seen significant progress, which has yet to be achieved for avian systems. Here, we quantitatively compare physiological, metabolic and anatomical characteristics between birds and mammals, with the aim of facilitating bird PBK model development. For some characteristics, there is considerable complementarity between avian and mammalian species with identical values for the following: blood hemoglobin and hemoglobin concentrations per unit erythrocyte volume together with relative weights of the liver, heart, and lungs. There are also systematic differences for some major characteristics between avian and mammalian species including erythrocyte volume, plasma concentrations of albumin, total protein and triglyceride together with liver cell size and relative weights of the kidney, spleen, and ovary. There are also major differences between characteristics between sexually mature and sexually immature female birds. For example, the relative weights of the ovary and oviduct are greater in sexually mature females compared to immature birds as are the plasma concentrations of triglyceride and vitellogenin. Both these sets of differences reflect the genetic "blue print" inherited from ancestral archosaurs such as the production of large eggs with yolk filled oocytes surrounded by egg white proteins, membranes and a calciferous shell together with adaptions for flight in birds or ancestrally in flightless birds.