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Published on: January 9, 2018
Rudimentary coronary artery in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)
A C Durán1, J M Arqué, B Fernández
1Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain. acduran@uma.es
Insights
Congenital coronary artery anomalies, including underdeveloped vessels, were identified in Syrian hamsters. These findings offer insights into cardiac development and potential health risks in mammals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular anatomy
- Developmental biology
- Comparative pathology
Background:
- Congenital coronary artery anomalies are documented in humans, potentially leading to myocardial ischemia and sudden death.
- Such defects have not been previously reported in non-human mammals, leaving a gap in comparative understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize coronary artery distribution patterns in Syrian hamsters with underdeveloped coronary arteries.
- To explore the developmental origins (morphogenesis) of these anomalous patterns.
Main Methods:
- Internal casts of the heart, great arterial trunks, and coronary arteries were created in eleven affected Syrian hamsters.
- Morphological analysis focused on the origin and branching of coronary arteries and the aortic valve structure.
Main Results:
- A rudimentary coronary artery was observed originating from the aortic valve or dorsal aortic sinus in all affected hamsters.
- A single, well-developed coronary artery compensated to supply all cardiac blood flow in all cases.
- Observed patterns, excluding the rudimentary artery, resemble known variations in hamsters, dogs, and humans with single coronary ostia.
Conclusions:
- The study describes novel congenital coronary artery anomalies in Syrian hamsters, providing a mammalian model for research.
- A prolonged developmental interval for embryonic coronary stems is proposed as a potential mechanism for differential development of coronary arteries.
Abstract:
Congenital underdevelopment of one or more main branches of the coronary arteries has been reported in man, but not in non-human mammals. In man, this defective coronary artery arrangement may cause myocardial ischaemia and even sudden death. The main goal of this study was to describe the coronary artery distribution patterns associated with the presence of a markedly underdeveloped (rudimentary) coronary artery in Syrian hamsters. Moreover, an attempt was made to explain the morphogenesis of these patterns, according to current knowledge on coronary artery development. Eleven affected hamsters belonging to a laboratory inbred family were examined by means of internal casts of the heart, great arterial trunks and coronary arteries. The aortic valve was tricuspid (normal) in seven hamsters and bicuspid in the other four. A rudimentary coronary artery arose from the right side of the aortic valve in four specimens, from the left side of the aortic valve in a further three, and from the dorsal aortic sinus in the remaining four. In all cases, a second, well-developed coronary artery provided for all the coronary blood flow. Except for the existence of a rudimentary coronary artery, the present anomalous coronary artery distribution patterns are similar to coronary artery patterns reported in Syrian hamsters, dogs and humans in association with a solitary coronary ostium in aorta. We suggest that an unusual prolonged time interval in the development of the embryonic coronary stems might be a key factor in the formation of coronary arteries displaying significantly dissimilar developmental degrees.
