Yamasaki M
Department of Anatomy, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
J Anat. 1996 Jun;188 ( Pt 3)(Pt 3):557-64.
The thyroid and thymic arteries were investigated in 30 male and 30 female Japanese white strain rabbits. Because of the high frequency (87% on average) of an independent superior laryngeal artery, the superior thyroid artery which arose either from the external or the common carotid artery was less common (13%). On the other hand, the middle thyroid artery was constant (99%); it always arose from the common carotid and penetrated the gland, supplying it, and terminated in the inferior laryngeal artery. The inferior thyroid artery was observed only in 1 female specimen; it arose from the common carotid, reached the gland caudally, and also terminated in the inferior laryngeal. The thyroid ima, arising from the brachiocephalic trunk, was found only in 1 male specimen. There were some independent thyroid arteries in about one fourth of body sides; they arose from the common carotid artery singly or together with the tracheooesophageal. A middle thymothyroid artery occurred in 1 male and 1 female specimen. The inferior thymic artery, arising from the internal thoracic or rarely from the costocervical trunk, was the most constant (92%). The middle thymic artery was also frequent (55%), arising from the common carotid, brachiocephalic trunk, aortic arch or the subclavian artery, in that order of frequency. The supreme thymic artery was present in 17%, on average, originating from the middle thyroid or directly from the common carotid artery. The superior thymic artery arising from the superficial cervical artery or the thyrocervical trunk was rare (5%). These results show that both the thyroid and thymic arteries in rabbits are more complex than in polyprotodont marsupials, rats and man, and that the thyroid arteries are simpler than in guinea pigs.
对30只雄性和30只雌性日本白兔的甲状腺和胸腺动脉进行了研究。由于独立的喉上动脉出现频率较高（平均87%），起源于颈外动脉或颈总动脉的甲状腺上动脉则较少见（13%）。另一方面，甲状腺中动脉恒定存在（99%）；它总是起源于颈总动脉，穿入腺体并为其供血，最终汇入喉下动脉。仅在1只雌性标本中观察到甲状腺下动脉；它起源于颈总动脉，向尾侧到达腺体，也汇入喉下动脉。起源于头臂干的甲状腺最下动脉仅在1只雄性标本中发现。约四分之一的体侧存在一些独立的甲状腺动脉；它们单独或与气管食管动脉一起起源于颈总动脉。在1只雄性和1只雌性标本中出现了一条胸腺甲状腺中动脉。起源于胸廓内动脉或很少起源于肋颈干的胸腺下动脉最为恒定（92%）。胸腺中动脉也较为常见（55%），依次起源于颈总动脉、头臂干、主动脉弓或锁骨下动脉。平均而言，最高胸腺动脉的出现率为17%，起源于甲状腺中动脉或直接起源于颈总动脉。起源于颈浅动脉或甲状腺颈干的胸腺上动脉很少见（5%）。这些结果表明，兔的甲状腺和胸腺动脉比多门齿有袋动物、大鼠和人类的更为复杂，且甲状腺动脉比豚鼠的更为简单。
