Abstract

The vertebral artery is important for supplying nutrients to the brain. The objective of this study was to determine the origin and course of the vertebral artery and branches of the aortic arch in rabbits and rats. In the present study were used ten rabbits and 10 rats from either sex. Colored latex was injected into materials. Then they were keeping in 10% formaldehyde solution for 24 hours and later they were dissected. The brachiocephalic trunk and the left subclavian artery originated from aortic arch in rabbits. Whereas the innominate artery, the left common carotid arteries and the left subclavian artery originated from the aortic arch in rats. The brachiocephalic trunk in rabbits were observed to give rise to the common root of the left common carotid artery and the right subclavian artery with the right common carotid artery. However, the right common carotid and right subclavian arteries in rats were originated from the brachiocephalic trunk. In all species, it was observed that the vertebral artery originated from the subclavian artery and ascended toward to cranial inside transversal canal after entering into transversal foramina of the sixth cervical vertebra. In rabbits and rats, the two vertebral arteries joined into each other on the ventral face of the medulla oblongata to form the basilar artery. In conclusion, this study revealed that the findings which indicate both branching of aortic arch and the forming basilar artery conjoined with vertebral arteries had similarities with the human species as in reported the literature.