Jm. Castellini et Ma. Castellini, ESTIMATION OF SPLENIC VOLUME AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO LONG-DURATION APNEA IN SEALS, Physiological zoology, 66(4), 1993, pp. 619-627
Splenic volume was estimated in northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga
angustirostris) by calculating the reservoir volume required to accomm
odate measured shifts in hematocrit that occur during periods of sleep
-associated apnea. In vivo total estimated splenic mass for 15 pups re
presented 2.8% of body mass, while adult female seal splenic mass was
estimated to be between 7.3% and 10.5% of body mass, considerably high
er than that of terrestrial mammals. The model was applied to several
other species of pinnipeds. Splenic mass estimates by this method were
in agreement with previously reported values obtained for some pinnip
ed species by computerized axial tomography (CT) scan. The data sugges
t that splenic mass in seals is correlated to the blood volume to body
mass ratio and that the large spleen of seals is an anatomical conseq
uence of the increased phocid blood volume.