Ultrasound and Anatomical Analysis of Abdominal Artery in Pregnant Rabbits

vascular ultrasound

Abstract

Abstract: Background: The abdominal and pelvic arteries play an important role in regulating blood flow to vital organs, especially during pregnancy due to the numerous physiological changes that occur to ensure adequate blood flow to the fetus and its supporting tissues. Latex injection is also an effective tool for revealing the anatomical distribution of arteries. Ten pregnant female domestic rabbits were used. Color Doppler ultrasound of the celiac arteries was performed from the dorsal position. The rabbits were then anesthetized and given a latex injection via the left ventricle. Aims: This study aims to evaluate the abdominal arteries in pregnant female rabbits using color Doppler, providing reference data on their diameters. It also seeks to study the major anatomical locations of the abdominal arteries using intravascular latex injection. Results: Color Doppler ultrasound results showed that the mean hepatic artery diameter was (0.196 ±0.005) cm and the mean renal artery diameter was (0.292 ±0.009) cm. Anatomically, The results of latex injection showed that the injected arteries retained their anatomical flexibility, which helped clearly show the anatomical path of the arteries and facilitated the process of identifying their locations and anatomical relationships with the adjacent tissues. The results indicated that the aorta was the main artery supplying the abdomen, which in turn branches into the celiac artery, which gives off two major branches: the splenic artery and the common trunk, the mesenteric artery, and the two renal arteries, where the right renal artery was located higher in origin and shorter in lengththan the left renal artery. Conclusions: Color Doppler ultrasound also provides a clear and accurate image of the artery's diameter, but it cannot image all the arteries that appear when a rabbit carcass is injected with latex for several reasons, including the interference of fat and other tissues with the arteries.