Abstract
Rabbits have been proposed as a model organism for the human lacrimal apparatus (LA), including the nasolacrimal duct (NLD), based principally on comparative studies of adult morphology; however, little is known about its development. The NLD first appears as an incomplete primordium in the subcutaneous region of the primordial eyelid and subsequently elongates to reach the naris. One posterior and three anterior orbital glands are present fetally although one of the anterior glands is soon lost. The NLD follows a tortuous path and passes through a bony canal consisting of lacrimal, maxilla, and maxilloturbinal bones at different regions. Although early developmental similarities exist to haplorhine primates, the narial opening of the NLD resembles strepsirrhines. This distinction, along with the ductal and glandular differences at the orbital end of the NLD, indicates that rabbits may be a poor model for LA drainage in primates, specifically humans.
Highlights
Identifying appropriate organisms for experimental models of human craniofacial growth, development, and dysmorphology is challenging
The nasolacrimal duct (NLD) begins in the orbital region with an opening in the lower eyelid, it traverses through the tissues that form the wall of the rostrum and extends the length of the nasal cavity to end in the lateral wall of the naris
The focus of this study is to describe the development of the NLD and the organogenesis of the orbital glands in rabbits
Summary
Identifying appropriate organisms for experimental models of human craniofacial growth, development, and dysmorphology is challenging. Suitable animal models need not hinge entirely on phylogenetic affinity; in some cases, regionspecific factors may determine when a more distantly related animal is appropriate [1, 2] An example of such a phylogenetically disparate experimental model is the rabbit, whose nasolacrimal system was proposed by Frame and Burkat [3] as a model for that of humans. Though most mammals appear to have at least one large orbital gland, the adult rabbit possesses either four [9] or five [10, 11] distinct glandular masses The secretion from these orbital glands forms the lacrimal fluid that drains into the nasolacrimal duct
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