A macroanatomic investigation of the coronary arteries and myocardial bridges in awassi sheep

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of the study was to reveal the course of coronary arteries and localization of myocardial bridges. Materials and Methods: It was used 10 mature Awassi sheep of both sex. The color latex injection method was applied to the materials. Results: The subepicardial adipose tissue was found to extend up to approximately the middle of the paraconal interventricular and subsinuosal interventricular grooves. Coronary arteries had partially an intramyocardial course. A third coronary artery sprang almost from the aorta on the right side of right coronary artery in 4 of the hearts. The left proximal atrial branch directly originated from the left coronary artery in 9 hearts. The paraconal interventricular branch coursed up to the middle of the subsinuosal interventricular groove in 2 hearts. The left distal ventricular branch was not formed in 1 heart. The myocardial bridges were observed at the beginning of the paraconal interventricular groove and on, both the paraconal interventricular and subsinuosal interventricular grooves in 8 and 2 hearts, respectively. In 1 heart, the myocardial bridge was also seen on the coronary groove. There was no myocardial bridge on the right coronary artery and its branches. Conclusion: Some researchers have suggested the human heart's resemblance to the sheep heart and sheep heart can be used as a model in human cardiovascular surgeon. Therefore, the presented study can give an idea of both the identification of the heart in the Awassi sheep and whether sheep heart can be used as a model in human medicine.

Keywords

• anatomy
• coronary artery
• myocardial bridge
• sheep