Histomorphometric study of brachiocephalic artery of Japanese quail

Abstract

Brachiocephalic arteries in quails are large arteries which are arising separately from the aortic arch. The aim of the present study was to determine the histomorphometric aspects of brachiocephalic arteries in the Japanese quail. The different layers of the brachiocephalic artery were studied quantitatively in 10, 20 and 60 days-old Japanese quail; (n = 6) and both sexes. Luminal diameter, thickness of the intima, media and adventitia, the percentage of the intima, media and adventitia, as compared with the total wall thickness were determined. It was found that luminal diameter and whole artery thickness increased by age (<em>p</em> < 0.05). In addition, the tunica media was the thickest layer, then tunica intima and at last tunica adventitia (<em>p</em> < 0.05). The muscularity of the right brachiocephalic artery was more than that of the left one (<em>p</em> < 0.05). Histomorphometric study of brachiocephalic arteries of Japanese quails showed that increasing of age causes increase of internal and external diameters of the artery and this increase in females was more than males.