[Arterial supply to the masseter muscle in the rat]

Eighteen rats (thirty-six sides) were injected with red latex into the peripheral arteries through the left ventricle in the heart and fixed in 10% formalin to demonstrate the arterial architecture. According to the method of Yoshikawa et al. who proposed the lamination theory of this muscle, the latex injected specimens were dissected under a stereoscopic microscope. The masseter muscle in the rat was distributed by the masseteric branches of the facial, external carotid and dorsal branch of the infraorbital arteries as well as the transverse facial, masseteric and buccal arteries. This finding was essentially the same as observed on other species which included the dog, cat, crab-eating monkey, rabbit, cow and horse. However, the origin, course and distribution of the posterior deep temporal and masseteric arteries in the rat were considerably different from those of other species. Furthermore, since the way of development of the arteries and the subdivided muscles of the masseter muscle varies among species, the relationships between these arteries and the subdivided muscles seem to differ to some extent from species to species. Outline of the arterial system of the lateral aspect in the rat's head was shown in Fig. 1. The arteries and masseteric branches which were distributed to the subdivided muscles of the masseter muscle in the rat were as follows. 1) The first and second superficial and intermediate masseter muscles were distributed by the masseteric branches of the facial and external carotid arteries as well as the transverse facial, buccal and masseteric arteries. 2) The anterior portion of the deep masseter muscle was supplied by the masseteric branch of the facial, the masseteric and the buccal arteries. 3) The posterior portion of the deep masseter muscle received only the masseteric artery. 4) The maxillomandibular muscle was vascularized by the masseteric branch of the dorsal branch of the infraorbital and the buccal arteries. 5) the zygomaticomandibular muscle included only the masseteric artery.