Anatomical variations of the arterial branches from the rat iliac arteries

Abstract

Animal disease models contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of human and animal diseases and help develop treatments for them. Ligation of the rat iliac arteries is performed to reproduce erectile dysfunction and peripheral arterial disease. Although knowledge of the ramification of branches from the rat iliac artery is important to perform such surgery, descriptions in previous studies are insufficient. Therefore, 17 male and 18 female Wistar rats were observed to elucidate the detailed ramification patterns of branches from the iliac arteries with the latex injection method. The iliac arteries branched off the umbilical, cranial gluteal, lateral and medial circumflex femoral, external pudendal, and caudal epigastric arteries, and the common trunk of the caudal gluteal and internal pudendal arteries. The branching pattern of the umbilical, cranial and caudal gluteal, and internal pudendal arteries varied greatly and was categorized as Types 1 to 3 based on the number of branching levels along the proximodistal axis of the iliac arteries. Based on the same criteria, the ramification patterns of the lateral and medial circumflex femoral arteries were also divided into Groups 1 and 2. The external pudendal and caudal epigastric arteries originated from the external iliac artery mainly as a common trunk or less frequently as independent arteries in this order. The detailed branching patterns of the rat iliac arteries elucidated in the present study are beneficial for the refinement of surgical procedures.

Arterial supply to the rat colon

“…The arteries supplying the colon were traced in 17 male and 17 female Wistar rats (180–300 g, purchased from Tokyo Laboratory Animal Science, Tokyo, Japan), which were also used in our previous studies (Kigata & Shibata, 2017, 2019). All animals were euthanized by intraperitoneal administration of sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg) and perfused transcardially with saline followed by 10% formalin.…”

Anatomic characterisation of the parietal branches arising from the internal iliac artery in the foetal pig (Sus scrofa domestica)

“…There are very few published studies that focus on embryologic and comparative anatomical descriptions of anomalies of the internal iliac artery and its parietal branches; likewise, precise embryological and anatomical descriptions of the internal iliac artery during foetal development have not been reviewed since 1919 [35]. Anatomic investigations of the internal iliac artery have been conducted in a several primate, rodent, and artiodactyl species, although very few comparative studies have emerged [2,6,13,16,21,22]. As such, it is clear that the standard anatomy of the internal iliac artery with respect to commonalities shared with other mammalian species has not been fully addressed; strong basic findings would be crucial prior to any discussion of variations or aberrancies.…”