Distribution of left gastric artery and breve gastric arteries on the surface of equine stomach and the relation to the organ´s superficial area

Abstract

Vessels responsible for stomach blood supply have their origin in the celyac artery, abdominal aorta first branch, in the aortic hiatus region. Thus, the stomach surface receives the left and right gastric arteries, the left and right gastroepiploic arteries and the breves gastric arteries. Origins of these vessels are well-known, but information about stomach surface arterial distribution are still unknown. Stomach surface blood supply has an important role on gastric mucosa defense mechanisms. Equines submitted to intensive training show high frequency of the ulcerative lesions in the gastric mucosa, with is a promising field of applicability for researches on vascularization. The aim of this study was to analyze some aspects of the stomach surface arterial distribution, of the mixed breed adults equines destined to slaughter. Equine stomachs of 15 male and 15 female were analyzed. The stomach surface area was measured with images analysis software and the data correlation with number of vessels branch accounted. A low contribution of the left gastric artery to the stomach minor curvature irrigation was observed. These results justify studies related to anatomic particularities of the region of equine stomach minor curvature, in future researches.