Morphometry of cervical segments grey matter in the male rat spinal cord.
The cervical portion of the spinal cord is an area frequently affected by alterations of medical and veterinary importance. Since there is scarce quantitative anatomical data on this region, we undertook a morphometric study of the grey matter of all segments of the rat cervical spinal cord of male rats in order to generate reference patterns to be used in future experimental studies. Using image analysis software, the total spinal cord length and grey and white matter area of each segment was recorded. The morphometric characteristics of the neurones populating the laminae of the grey matter of the cervical segments was also recorded. Neurones were classified into small, medium and large sizes for each lamina and statistically compared. The present data fill an anatomical information gap by providing quantitative data about the normal anatomical features of the rat cervical cord. The anatomical data found could be used to better understand the physiological relevance of that region in the rat.
School of Veterinary Sciences, Institute of Pathology, National University of La Plata (UNLP), Calle 60 y 118, CC 296, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. elporti@fcv.unlp.edu.ar
Enrique Leo
EL
Portiansky
Claudio Gustavo
CG
Barbeito
Rodolfo Gustavo
RG
Goya
Eduardo Juan
EJ
Gimeno
Gustavo Oscar
GO
Zuccolilli
D000818:Animals; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology*