Coronary artery behavior in Trachemys dorbigni (Testudinata-Pelomedusidae)

Abstract

We studied the behaviour of the coronary artery, to focus its origin, trajectory, and destiny of its ramifications. We used five turtles Trachemys dorbigni females and males. We canalized the aorta artery through which a physiological solution was introduced to remove obstruction from the vascular system, than we inject solution of Neoprene Latex “450” colored. We fixated the material in solution of Formaldehyde 10% for a period of 96 hours. After this, we loosed the skull from its insertions, showing the heath, and individualizing the coronary artery. The heart of Trachemys dorbigni has two atrio and one ventricle, found in the coelomic cavity, in a median position, with the apex slightly toward the left side, located in the third cranial cavity, caudally to the thyroid gland and the thymus and cranial to the stomach. The Trachemys dorbigni has a single coronary artery that originates from the right side of the heart, in the initial portion of the brachiocephalic trunk, it sends a dorsal trunk that irrigates the dorsal surface of the heart and ventral trunk that irrigates the ventral surface of that body. The circumflex branch arises most frequently (80%) from the dorsal trunk and branches in the atrio and the left dorsolateral and ventrolateral sides of the ventricle.