Distance from the Torus pyloricus to the Papilla duodeni hepatica in Brahman crossbreeds

Abstract

In this contribution to the study of the extra-hepatic biliary tracts of Brahman crossbreds, was established statistically the distance from the Torus pyloricus to the opening of the bile duct in the Papilia duodeni hepatica. Measurements were made on 411 pieces obtained in the Frigorifico Armour at São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brasil, of which 312 pertaining to males, 14 to females and the rest to animals that the AA. had no chance to determinate the sex. The age range of the cattle was aproximately from 28 (change of the first incisor) to 51 months (change of the fourth incisor).A detailed description of the followed technique is given to show how the measures were taken on 411 duodenal tracts after fixation in a 10 per cent aqueous solution of formaldehyde; 164 of these tracts were separated, by chance in order to find (by means of two measures, before, and after fixation), the percentage of retractility. The conclusions can be summed, up into:1) The Papilla duodeni hepatic a in 411 fixed pieces was located at 40.41 ± 0.31 cm caudad to the Torus pyloricus; the range of the values varied from 25.78 to 58.90 cm and the coefficient of variation was 15.59%;

2) On fresh material, a group of 164 duodenal tracts, the arithmetic mean and its standard error were 45.02 ± 0.49 cm; the range of the values was from 33.10 (2 cases) to 67.20 cm and the coefficient of variation was 13.85%;

3) The data obtained for this group of 164 pieces after fixation were 40.68 ± 0.48 cm (mean and standard error of it) the range of the values was from 29.00 to 58.90 cm and the coefficient of variation was 15.21%;

4) The difference of 4.39 cm between the two means calculated in the group of 164 pieces though without pratical importance, revealed statistical significance and must be attributed to the fixation;

5) The percentage of retractility calculated, piece by piece, in 164 duodenal tracts allowed to establish the arithmetic mean and standard error of this retractility: 9.82 ± 4.42%; the coefficient of variation determined, in terms of percentage of retractility, from these values reaches 45%. Thus it seems demonstrating the impossibility of obtaining the theoric value expected if all the pieces had been measured before fixation, as well as, those measures taken on fresh material represent more regularly and precisely, the average anatomic condition;

6) The superposition of both, the frequency distributions and normal curves concerned in the group of 411 pieces (Graph I) and the group of 164 pieces (Graph II) showed through the X2 — test that the disparity between experimental and, normal frequencies must be ascribable to chance. The modal class in the first group, from 37 to 40 cm, contains 81.5 items, i. e., 19.83% of all data; in the second group the modal class, from 41-44 cm, contains 41 items, i. e., 25% of all data. The values of the modes in these two groups were 38.57 and 42.58 cm respectively;

7) The differences of 15.68 and 9.98 cm between the, arithmetic means found by BAUMANN and SCHMOTZER (60.70 cm) and by MANN,BRIMHALL and FOSTER (55.00 cm) and the calculated, by the AA. (45.02 cm), on fresh material, must be considered of statistical significance:

8) After analysing the conditions of technical order and constitutional nature concerning sex, age, weight and breed of cattle, giving an explanation about the interference of these factors in the interpretation of the results, it is presumed that the shorter distance from Torus pyloricus to the Papilla duodeni hepatica in Brahman crossbreds as compared with non-Brahman cattle is connected, with the lesser lenght of intestines in the former. This assumption is not invalidated by the conclusion of BLACK,SEMPLE and LUSH when saying that no statistically significant differences were found in intestine lenght of crossbred Brahman-Hereford and Brahman-Shorthorn cattle compared with typical Hereford and Shorthorn cattle. After all those AA. point out as noteworthy physiological and anatomical differences that the Brahman crossbreds had smaller digestive tracts and we think must be confirmed both on numerical and qualitative adequate material if the difference is merely of capacity and weight; besides it should be emphasized that BLACK, SEMPLE and LUSH used Brahman-Hereford and Brahman-Shorthorn cattle and we used perhaps, more than 7/8 or 15/16 Brahman crossbreds.