VETERINARSKI ARHIV 68 (4), 149-153, 1998

ISSN 0372-5480
Printed in Croatia

Distribution of different types of ovarian arteries in the domestic hen, Gallus domesticus

Mohammad Zahirul Islam Khan*, and Mohammed Asaduzzaman

Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Science,
Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh

* Contact address:
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Zahirul Islam Khan,
Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh,
Phone: 88 91 55 96 21 61, Fax: 88 91 55 810

KHAN, M. Z. I., M. ASADUZZAMAN: Distribution of different types of ovarian arteries in the domestic hen, Gallus domesticus. Vet. arhiv 68, 149-153, 1998.

ABSTRACT

Different types of ovarian arteries were investigated in domestic hens by the micro-dissection procedure. In domestic hens there were three types of ovarian arterial supply. In type I, two arteries arose from the left cranial renal artery and penetrated into the ovarian stroma of hens, whereas in type II, one artery from the aorta and two arteries from the left cranial renal artery emerged simultaneously and supplied blood to the ovary of the hens. In contrast, in type III, two arteries from the aorta and one artery from the left cranial renal arteries arose and entered into the ovarian stroma. In the present study, hens containing aortic ovarian arteries were predominant over hens with renal ovarian arteries. These results indicated that the individual variation of ovarian arterial supply is greater among these native birds.

Key words: laying hens, Gallus domesticus, ovary, artery, micro-dissection

Introduction

The ovary of the domestic hen is responsible for the production of ova and steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens, and progesterone). The steroid hormones help in the transportation of the ova and in causing maturation of the oviduct.

For hormonal study, ovariectomy is a common method in mammals. In the hen, the ovary lies in close contact with the aorta and the caudal vena cava and receives branches from them. Because of its complex vascular supply the ovariectomy technique has became successful only in day-old chickens, although their mortality rate is high (30%), due to profuse bleeding (MILICEVIC and MILICEVIC, 1985). It is important, therefore, to know the arterial supply of the ovary of hens prior to its surgical ovariectomy. There have been only a limited number of studies in this field (NALBANDOV and JAMES, 1949; DANG-QUAN-DIEN, 1951), and so an attempt was made to study the various types of chicken ovarian arteries by micro-dissection using a stage microscope.

Materials and methods

A total of 32 adult laying hens (local breed, Gallus domesticus) were purchased from the local market. The animals were killed by decapitation and their arterial system perfused by normal saline solution. Immediately after perfusion a mixture containing mercuric sulfide (Sigma, USA), potato powder (Sigma, USA), water and formalin was injected through the aorta towards the ovarian stroma of laying hens. The hens were then placed in a deep freezer to ensure that the aortic injected mixture hardened.

The samples were placed under a stage microscope (Olympus, Japan) and studied carefully by dissection, using conventional surgical apparatus.

Results and discussion

The diagram of the lateral view of the main arteries supplying the ovary and its surrounding region is shown in Fig. 1. The arterial supply to the ovary of laying hens arises from the left cranial renal artery (LCRa) and the aorta. The aorta first stem from the LCRa at the cranial end of the kidney, the ovarian artery (ROa) arising from it and furnishing arterial supply to the ovary, while the aorta branched off the ovarian artery (AOa) directly in front of the LCRa.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram showing the arteries entering into the ovary and its surroundings in the laying hen. The aortic ovarian artery (AOa) from the aorta and the renal ovarian artery (ROa) from left cranial renal artery (LCRa) are the major source of supply to the ovary of the hen. Fa, femoral artery; Ra, renal artery; Aa, adrenal artery; CMa, cranial mesenteric artery; Ca, celiac artery; ICa, intercostal artery.

The authors of the present study observed different types of ovarian artery on 32 laying hens. It was found that there were three types of arterial supply to the ovary in the hens. Type I had only two arteries from LCRa, designated as renal ovarian artery (ROa) (Fig. 2a). In type II (Fig. 2b) there was one artery from the aorta, designated as aortic ovarian artery (AOa), and two arteries (ROa) from the LCRa. Type III (Fig. 2c) had two arteries from the aorta (AOa) and one artery (ROa) from the LCRa.

Fig. 2a. Schematic diagram for type I ovarian artery. The diagram shows two renal ovarian arteries (ROa) from left cranial renal artery (LCRa) supplying the ovarian stroma (OS).

Fig. 2b. Diagram for type II ovarian artery. The diagram shows one aortic ovarian artery (AOa) from the aorta, and two renal ovarian artery (ROa) from the left cranial renal artery (LCRa) entering into the ovarian stroma (OS) for proper blood supply.

Fig. 2c. Diagram for type III ovarian artery. Here, two aortic ovarian arteries (AOa) from the aorta and one renal ovarian artery (ROa) from the LCRa penetrated into the ovarian stroma (OS) of hens.

In the present study it was found that the ovaries of 22 hens (69%) received branches from both the aorta and LCRa, whereas the ovaries of the remaining 10 hens (31%) received arterial branches only from the LCRa (Table 1). Our report contradicts NALBANDOV and JAMES (1949), MAUGER (1941), WESTPFAHL (1961) and GETTY (1975), who reported that only a few hen ovaries received branches from the aorta, while the majority of hens received branches from the LCRa. In our previous work (KHAN et al., 1996; KHAN et al., 1997) we failed to ovariectomise the chickens surgically and all the chickens died. The most common complication was bleeding.

Table 1. Three types of ovarian artery and its frequency of occurrence in the hen (N=32)

* as drawn in Fig. 2.

Conclusion

In the domestic hens there were three types of arterial supply to the ovary, and we wish to suggest that this study will provide new information regarding ovarian arterial supply to those scientist engaged in various forms of hormonal study of hens.

References

DANG-QUAN-DIEN (1951): Contribution a l'anatomie des ovaires de la poule domestique. Thesis. Fac. Medic. et Pharm. Lyon.

KHAN, M. Z. I., Y. HASHIMOTO, Y. IWAMI, T. IWANAGA (1996): Hormonal regulation of T-cell subsets in the oviduct: An immunohistochemical study using sex-hormone-treated chickens. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 58, 1161-1167.

KHAN, M. Z. I., Y. HASHIMOTO, Y. IWAMI, T. IWANAGA (1997): Postnatal development of B-cells and immunoglobin-containing plasma cells: An immunohistochemical study in the chicken oviduct. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 56, 329-338.

GETTY, R. (1975): Sisson and Grossman's "The Anatomy of the domestic animals". W. B. Saunders Company. Philadelphia.

MAUGER, H. M (1941): The autonomic innervation of the female genitalia in the domestic fowl and its correlation with the aortic branching. Am. J. Vet. Res. 2, 447-452.

MILICEVIC, Z., N. M. MILICEVIC (1985): The technique of neonatal gonadectomy in the chicken. IRCS Med. Sci. 13, 509.

NALBANDOV, A. V., M. F. JAMES (1949): The blood-vascular system of the chicken ovary. Am. J. Anat. 85, 347-378.

WESTPFAHL, U. (1961): Das arterian System des Haushuhness (Gallus domesticus). Wiss. Z. Humboldt-Univ. Berlin Math. Nat. R. 10, 93-124.

Recceived: 26 January 1998
Accepted: 29 June 1998

KHAN, M. Z. I., M. ASADUZZAMAN: Ucestalost razlicitih nacina arterijske opskrbe jajnika u domace kokoši, Gallus domesticus. Vet. arhiv 68, 149-153, 1998.

SAZETAK

Mikro-sekcijom su istrazene razlicite vrste arterija jajnika domace kokoši. Nadena su tri tipa arterijske opskrbe jajnika. U tipu I. dvije su arterije polazile iz lijeve kranijalne bubrezne arterije i probijale stromu kokošjeg jajnika. U tipu II. su se pojavljivale istovremeno jedna arterija iz aorte i dvije arterije iz lijeve kranijalne bubrezne arterije koje su i opskrbljivale krvlju jajnik kokoši. U tipu III. su dvije arterije iz aorte i jedna iz lijeve kranijalne bubrezne arterije ulazile u stromu jajnika. U ovoj studiji su cešce bile kokoši s aortinim arterijama jajnika u odnosu na one s bubreznim arterijama jajnika. Rezultati pokazuju da su individualne varijacije medu domacim pticama znatne.

Key words: nesilice, Gallus domesticus, jajnik, arterija, mikro-sekcija