Anatomical, Histological, and Ultrasonographical Studies on the Liver of Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) with its Arterial Blood Distribution and Biliary Ducts

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the anatomical and histological characteristics of the Egyptian red fox. We performed liver ultrasonography on eight animals while used two livers for morphological study. To illustrate the hepatic artery branches, two specimens were injected with colored red latex neoprene through the abdominal aorta. The other two specimens were injected with a mixture of lead oxide and colored green latex neoprene through the major duodenal papilla to demonstrate the radiological images of the biliary duct pattern. The last two specimens were used for histological study. The fox's liver had six lobes; left lateral, left medial, quadrate, right medial, right lateral, and caudate lobes. The gall bladder was pear-shaped and was embedded in a fossa between the right medial and the quadrate lobes. The left hepatic duct formed the common bile duct, and the cystic duct union then passed about 0.5-1cm to join with the right hepatic duct. The branches of the proper hepatic artery supply the liver lobes. Histologically, liver parenchyma consisted of lobules; each lobule had a central vein and hepatic cords with hepatic sinusoids in between. Histochemically, hepatocytes were stained with Periodic Acid Schiff and Bests carmine stains. Gall bladder lined by simple columnar cells rests on fibrous propria-submucosa rich in blood capillaries. This study has practical importance in surgical treatment, as in partial hepatic lobectomy and hepatic artery or lobar arteries ligation in case of tumors.