Vol. 41, No. 3-4, 1997 previous next

BLOOD SUPPLY, LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE (ACHE)-POSITIVE NERVES IN THE RAT THYMUS

Dorko, F.*, Kočišová, M.*, Schmidtová, K.*, Dorko, E.**

* Faculty of Medicine
P. J. Šafárik University
Anatomical Institute
Šrobárova 2
040 01 Kosice
Slovak Republic		 ** Faculty of Medicine
P. J. Šafárik University
Microbiological Institute
Šrobárova 2
040 01 Kosice
The Slovak Republic

Summary

The thymus of the rat is supplied with blood from the a. thoracica interna, the a. thyroidea caudalis, the a. brachiocephalica, the a. subclavia and the arcus aortae. The outflow from the thymus veins goes predominantly to the v. thoracica interna and the v. cava cranialis. The regional lymph nodes of the thymus are the lymphonodi sternales craniales and the Iymphonodi mediastinales craniales.
ACHE-positive nerve fibres in the thymus of the rat form perivascular plexuses as well as free ACHE-positive nerves, which do not follow the course of the vessels. A higher number of ACHE-positive nerves was observed in the cortex, a lower in the medulla of the thymus lobuli. The highest number of ACHE-positive nerve fibres was found in the period before the involution. A gradual reduction of ACHE-positive intrathymus nerve formations was recorded and correlated with the increasing age of the rats.

Key words: thymus; vessel supply; lymph drainage; acetylcholinesterase (ACHE)-innervation

References

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Folia Veterinaria / 1997