ORIGEM E RAMIFICAÇÕES DAS ARTÉRIAS MESENTÉRICAS CRANIAL E CAUDAL EM TARTARUGA DA AMAZÔNIA Podocnemis expansa Schweigger, 1812, (Testudinata-pelomedusidae)

Abstract

Foram estudadas cinco Podocnemis expansa, fêmeas, cujo peso variava de 550 a 850 g. Os
animais tiveram seu sistema arterial injetado com solução corada de látex sintético, fixados e armazenados
em solução aquosa de formaldeído a 10%. Após abertura da cavidade celomática, as artérias mesentéricas
cranial e caudal foram dissecadas. Encontrou-se a artéria mesentérica cranial como um ramo do tronco
celíaco-mesentérico e originando as artérias pancreaticoduodenal caudal, ileocólica e jejunais, que irrigam
o duodeno, pâncreas, cólon, íleo e jejuno, respectivamente. A artéria mesentérica caudal origina-se da
aorta (60%) ou da artéria ilíaca comum (40%), distribuindo-se para o cólon e reto.

Origin and ramifications of the cranial and caudal mesenteric arteries in Amazonian
turtle - Podocnemis expansa Schweigger, 1812, Testudinata-Pelomedusidae

Abstract

An anatomic study has been carried out on the mesenteric arteries of five Podocnemis
expansa females weighing from 550 to 680 g. The animals had their artery system injected with a latex
solution colored with a specific pigment and were then fixed in a 10% formol solution. After the coelomatic
cavity being opened the cranial and caudal mesenteric arteries were dissected. It has been found that
the cranial mesenteric artery is a branch of the coeliac mesenteric trunk while the cranial mesenteric
artery gives off the pancreatic-duodenal , ileocolic and jejunal arteries that irrigate the duodenum,
pancreas, colon, ileum and jejunum respectively. The aorta gives origen of as much as 60% of the
caudal mesenteric artery, the remaining 40 % being originated from the common ileac artery, their
branches reaching the colon and the rectum.