Thymus irrigation and morphology in hybrid Dalland and Penarlan pigs

Abstract

This research aimed to contribute with data related to the morphology and irrigation of the thymus of swine fetuses, resulting from the mating between Dalland and Penarlan breeds. For this, 40 swine fetuses (16 males and 24 females) were used, after natural death; they were donated by Granja Beira-Rio, from the town of Andradas (MG). The arterial vascular system of animals was filled in with an aqueous solution of colored latex (50% dilution), via thoracic aorta, then, there was fixation in stabilized formaldehyde (10% dilution), for later dissection of arteries directed towards the thymic lobes. The observations allowed us to report that thymus was irrigated by the direct and indirect branches of the right and left superficial cervical arteries, right and left common carotid arteries, right and left external thoracic arteries, and right and left internal thoracic arteries. The main arteries supplying the thymic cervical lobes were the superficial cervical arteries, while the thoracic lobe received a major number of branches from the right and left internal thoracic arteries. After the statistical analyses, it was possible to conclude that there is no correlation between the thymus size and the branches of arteries irrigating it.

Keywords

• Pigs
• Thymic arteries
• Thymus morphology
• Vascularization