Institute for Anatomy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Clinic for Small Mammals, Reptiles and Birds, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
PLoS One. 2020 Jun 23;15(6):e0234736. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234736. eCollection 2020.
Imaging techniques have proved to be crucial for diagnosis in reptile species. The topography of the internal organs of bearded dragons has been described in recent studies as meeting the small animal practitioners´ demand for knowledge concerning their anatomy. However, the nomenclature in the respective literature is not uniform, which could lead to misunderstandings concerning the respective and/or affected parts of the alimentary canal. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide clear information on anatomy and histology of the alimentary canal of bearded dragons including supplying blood vessels. For the dissection of the alimentary canal, 11 Inland Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) were used (five males, six females), which had been euthanised for clinical reasons other than those concerning the digestive tract or had died spontaneously. The supplying arteries were demonstrated by injecting red latex into the aorta, while the intestinal veins were filled with blue latex via the portal vein. Microscopic examination was carried out on specimens of seven additional bearded dragons using routine histologic procedures. Macroscopically, the sections of the alimentary canal from oral to aboral were distinguished into oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, colic ampulla, colic isthmus, rectum and cloaca. Differentiation of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum was only possible when considering the bile duct, the vasculature and the histology of the organ wall. Arteries supplying the oesophagus and the final straight part of the large intestine originated from the aorta in a segmental manner. Between these, three unpaired arteries arose from the aorta. Their branches supplied stomach and intestine excluding its last part. Based on the findings of the present study, a nomenclature for the different parts of the alimentary canal and the supplying blood vessels of bearded dragons is suggested which is well understandable for veterinary practitioners and is based on zoological knowledge of reptiles.
成像技术已被证明对爬行动物物种的诊断至关重要。最近的研究描述了鬃狮蜥内部器官的地形，满足了小动物从业者对其解剖结构知识的需求。然而，各自文献中的命名法并不统一，这可能导致对消化道的各个和/或受影响部分的误解。因此，本研究的目的是提供有关鬃狮蜥消化道的解剖学和组织学的明确信息，包括供应血管。为了解剖消化道，使用了 11 只内陆鬃狮蜥（Pogona vitticeps）（5 只雄性，6 只雌性），这些蜥蜥是由于与消化道无关的临床原因而被安乐死的，或者是自然死亡的。通过将红色乳胶注入主动脉来显示供应动脉，而通过门静脉将蓝色乳胶填充到肠静脉中。通过常规组织学程序对另外 7 只鬃狮蜥的标本进行了微观检查。宏观上，从口腔到肛门的消化道切片分为食道、胃、小肠、结肠壶腹、结肠峡部、直肠和泄殖腔。只有考虑到胆管、血管和器官壁的组织学，才能区分十二指肠、空肠和回肠。供应食道和大肠最后直段的动脉从主动脉呈节段性起源。在这些动脉之间，从主动脉发出了三条不成对的动脉。它们的分支供应胃和肠，不包括其最后部分。基于本研究的发现，建议为鬃狮蜥的不同消化道部分和供应血管提出一个命名法，该命名法对于兽医从业者来说是容易理解的，并且基于爬行动物的动物学知识。
