Comparative macro anatomy of the heart valves of the New Zealand rabbit and Guinea pig

In this study, it was observed that comparative macro anatomy of the heart valves of the New Zealand rabbits and Guinea pigs. Also, it was intended that need of information about this topic was supplied. For this purpose, morphology of the heart valves on 10 male New Zealand rabbits and 10 male Guinea pigs were investigated. The findings were obtained through examining the materials fixed in the 10% formol solution by using Olympus MIX dissection microscope. Mann-Whitney U analysis method was applied to numerical data. It was determined that tricuspidal valve was composed of three cusps in the 7 hearts of rabbits and 4 hearts of the Guinea pigs, and it was composed of two cusps in the other hearts observed. Papillary muscles were determined on the septal walls of right ventricles of the hearts. The anterior papillary muscle was observed to be a single one, and the septal papillary muscle was also a single muscle except the heart of one rabbit. It was determined that the number of posterior papillary muscle had individual differences in both rabbits and guinea pigs. It was observed that the bicuspidal valve was composed of two cusps in all the examined animals. Two papillary muscles which were located on the outer wall of left ventricle were seen. They were determined to possess several small heads. On both ventricles, the tendinous chords that extend between the papillary muscles and leaflets of the atrioventricular valves were seen. The investigations on the hearts of the rabbits and guinea pigs exposed that separation of leaflets of valva atrioventricularis dextra and valva atrioventricularis sinistra was not clear. It was observed that valva trunci pulmonalis and valva aortae comprised three semilunar valvulas in all the materials examined.