Controversy in the allometric application of fixed- versus varying-exponent models: a statistical and mathematical perspective.
This commentary is a reply to a recent article by Mahmood commenting on the authors' article on the use of fixed-exponent allometry in predicting human clearance. The commentary discusses eight issues that are related to criticisms made in Mahmood's article and examines the controversies (fixed-exponent vs. varying-exponent allometry) from the perspective of statistics and mathematics. The key conclusion is that any allometric method, which is to establish a power function based on a limited number of animal species and to extrapolate the resulting power function to human values (varying-exponent allometry), is infused with fundamental statistical errors.
Tang
Huadong
H
Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Merck Research Laboratory, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, USA. huadong.tang@spcorp.com
Hussain
Azher
A
Leal
Mauricio
M
Fluhler
Eric
E
Mayersohn
Michael
M
D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D001699:Biometry; D006801:Humans; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008954:Models, Biological; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D013045:Species Specificity