Anatomical study of blood supply to the cervical spinal cord in the guinea pig

Arterial circles of brains from 70 adult chinchillas were filled with synthetic latex. The arterial circle of the brain is formed as the result of vertebral arteries being merged into the basilar artery. Caudally, both vertebral arteries gave rise to the ventral spinal artery. The ventral spinal artery splits into tiny cerebellar vessels, the pontine and cochlear branches. Distally, the basilar artery ramified into two terminal branches that formed the arterial circle of brain, rostrally open in most cases (75%). The observed variability of the arterial circle of brain of chinchillas pertained to all elements of that circle. The greatest variability within the vessels of the circle of Willis in chinchillas was observed in 22 cases (31.4%) of internal ophthalmic arteries. In chinchillas, a trend toward slight variability within the arteries comprising the arterial circle of the brain was observed in 44 animals. This accounted for 62.8% of all cases. Only in three cases was the arterial circle of brain clearly symmetrical. At the same time, 23 animals (32.8%) revealed features of significant vascular variability within the brain base region. These consisted of disturbed geometry of the entire arterial circle, different levels of ramifications into individual arteries, as well as the number and diameter of arteries. No internal carotid arteries were observed in chinchillas apart from one atypical case in which the carotid artery extended unilaterally into the basilar artery. These investigations indicate on the significant variability of arterial circle in rodents. Anat Rec, 300:1472-1480, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphometry and Variability of the Brain Arterial Circle in Chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger, Molina)

Kuchinka

2017

“…The arterial arrangement of the cervical spinal cord is highly variable (Mazensky et al, ). The fusion of VAs in 60% of cases is without a triangular gap (Knox‐Macaulay et al, ; Mazensky et al, ) and in 30% of cases with a longitudinal triangular gap (Mazensky et al, ). In the rest of cases, the VAs are connected by a communicating branch (Mazensky et al, ; Fig.…”

Section: Specific Characteristics Of Spinal Cord Arterial Supply In Ementioning

confidence: 99%

“…) and to the left VA in 25% of cases. The ventral branches entering the uninterrupted VSA are present as left‐sided in 58% of cases and as right‐sided in 42% of cases (Mazensky et al, ). The interrupted VSA receives two to five ventral branches (Knox‐Macaulay et al, ).…”

Section: Specific Characteristics Of Spinal Cord Arterial Supply In Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Arterial Blood Supply to the Spinal Cord in Animal Models of Spinal Cord Injury. A Review

Mazensky

Flešárová

Šulla

2017

Self Cite

Animal models are used to examine the results of experimental spinal cord injury. Alterations in spinal cord blood supply caused by complex spinal cord injuries contribute significantly to the diversity and severity of the spinal cord damage, particularly ischemic changes. However, the literature has not completely clarified our knowledge of anatomy of the complex three-dimensional arterial system of the spinal cord in experimental animals, which can impede the translation of experimental results to human clinical applications. As the literary sources dealing with the spinal cord arterial blood supply in experimental animals are limited and scattered, the authors performed a review of the anatomy of the arterial blood supply to the spinal cord in several experimental animals, including pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, and mice and created a coherent format discussing the interspecies differences. This provides researchers with a valuable tool for the selection of the most suitable animal model for their experiments in the study of spinal cord ischemia and provides clinicians with a basis for the appropriate translation of research work to their clinical applications. Anat Rec, 300:2091-2106, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

“…The special arrangement of brain arterial system was described in Mongolian gerbil and some species of mice where usually is the lack of caudal communication arteries what is characteristic for caudally opened type of the arterial circle (Okuyama et al, ; Szczurkowski et al, ; Kuchinka et al, ; Kowiański et al, ). Different types of arterial circle of brain may conducive to form, under experimental conditions, ischemia of the internal carotid artery system and vertebrobasilar system or spinal cord injuries (Kowiański et al, ; Mazensky et al, ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…“Over time, ‘guinea pig’ became synonymous with experimentation” (Suckow et al, ). Shively and Stump () described vascular system in this species and Mazensky et al, () conducted experimental investigations on vascularization of spinal cord injuries.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Internal Ophthalmic Arteries Within the Brain‐Base Arterial System in Guinea Pig

Kuchinka

2017

In situ vascular specimens of the arterial circle were collected from 15 adult guinea pigs, both male and female. After specimen preparation, the vessels were filled with synthetic latex and subjected to analysis. Similar as in the case of other rodents, vertebral arteries were merged into basilar artery, further dividing into two short terminal branches. Distally, the terminal branches extend into caudal cerebral arteries. Rostral part of the arterial circle of brain is supplied with blood from maxillary arteries via external and internal ophthalmic arteries connected by a short anastomosis. This type of vascularity may probably be considered a functional analogy to the internal carotid arteries observed in other species. Rostral and caudal parts of the arterial circle of brain are connected by exceptionally long caudal communicating arteries. In author's opinion, the disputable contribution of internal carotid artery and the exceptional contribution of internal ophthalmic arteries in the cerebral blood supply in guinea pigs as compared to other rodents, warrants further research on the subject. Anat Rec, 301:887-891, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.