Anatomical and topographical description of the digestive system of caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus 1758), melanosuchus niger (Spix 1825) and paleosuchus palpebrosus (Cuvier 1807) / Descripción anatómica y topográfica del sistema digestivo del caimam crocodillus (Linnaeus 1758), melanosuchus niger (Spix 1825) y paleosuchus palpebrosus (Cuvier 1807)

This paper describes the digestive system of Caiman crocodilus, Melanosuchus niger and Paleosuchus palpebrosus based on anatomical and topographical inferences. The study involves two digestive systems of C. crocodilus, one of M. niger and one of P. palpebrosus, already fixed in 10 percent formaldehyde, belonging to the collection of the Wild Animal Research Laboratory (LAPAS) of the Federal University of Uberlândia. The work begins with a description of the digestive system of the aforementioned crocodilians, followed by topographical associations, aided by photographs taken with a SONY® DSC-H20 camera, X-rays of the gastrointestinal tract and a photograph of the digestive system of C. crocodilus prior to formaldehyding, which also belong to the LAPAS collection. The results indicate that the digestive system of crocodilians consists of a wide mouth, short pharynx, long straight esophagus, dilated stomach in relation to the rest of the tract, pancreas lodged between the first two ventral duodenal loops, coiled small intestine, large intestine with diameter larger than the preceding segments, and cloaca as the terminal portion of the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. The anatomical and topographical description of the digestive system of C. crocodilus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae), M. niger (Spix, 1825) (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) and P. palpebrosus (Cuvier, 1807) (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) can be extended to the other crocodilians due to interspecies and intraspecific behavioral similarities.

Mediante comparaciones anatómicas y topográficas describimos el sistema digestivo de C. crocodillus, M. nigeri y P. palpebrosus. Se utilizaron dos sistemas digestivos de C. crocodillus, uno de M. nigeri y uno de P. palpebrosus, fijados en formalina al 10 por ciento y pertenecientes al laboratorio de enseñanza e investigación de fauna silvestre (LAPAS) de la Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. En primera instancia se realizó la descripción del sistema digestivo de las mencionadas especies, seguido de comparaciones topográficas. Luego, fueron tomados registros fotográficos con cámara DSC H20 SONY. Adicional a esto, nos apoyamos con radiografías del tracto gastrointestinal y fotografías del sistema digestivo de C. crocodillus antes de ser fijados en formalina. Los resultados demuestraron que el sistema digestivo de estas tres especies de caimanes está constituido por una boca grande, faringe corta, esófago alargado y rectilíneo, estómago dilatado con relación a las otras partes del tracto digestivo, páncreas alojado entre las dos primeras curvaturas duodenales ventrales, intestino delgado plegado, intestino grueso con un diámetro mayor en relación a los segmentos anteriores y una cloaca donde también terminan los sistemas urinarios y reproductor. La descripción anatómica y topográfica del sistema digestivo de C. crocodillus, M. niger y P. palpebrosus puede ser extrapolada para otros cocodrilos por la semejanza comportamental interespecies e intraespecíficas.

Radiographic anatomy aspects and gastrointestinal transit time in Podocnemis unifilis troschel, 1848 (Testudines, Podocnemididae) / Aspectos anátomo-radiográficos e tempo de trânsito gastrintestinal em Podocnemis unifilis troschel, 1848 (Testudines, Podocnemididae)

The present study analyzed the radiographic anatomy and determined the gastrointestinal transit time of Podocnemis unifilis. We used ten animals belonging to LAPAS from the Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The animals were orally fed with a barium sulphate suspension at 10 mL kg-1 mixed with mineral oil, at a ratio of 70% of barium sulphate for 30% of mineral oil. Afterwards, the animals underwent radiography in a dorsum ventriloquoal position, with the X-ray device adjusted at 72 Kv and 200 mA, in time intervals to follow the permanency of contrast in the organism. Five minutes after the contrast was supplied, the stomach was filled. After sixteen hours the contrast advanced to the small intestine. In 48 hours, the whole small intestine and part of the colon were fulfilled. On the 9th day the stomach was empty and the contrast advanced to the colon. On the 11th day, the colon was totally fulfilled, and the contrast was close to cloaca. On the 18th day all contrast was eliminated by the animal. Total time for contrast elimination was, in average, 17.6 ± 2.4 days, with the minimum of 12 and maximum of 22 days, with temperature at 27ºC. The digestion of the food was slower in the duodenum, and faster in the colon-rectum, which presents lower indices of repletion.

Avaliou-se aspectos anátomo-radiográficos bem como o tempo de trânsito gastrintestinal em Podocnemis unifilis. Foram utilizados 10 animais pertencentes ao Laboratório de Pesquisas em Animais Silvestres (LAPAS) da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Aos animais foi administrada, por via oral, uma suspensão de sulfato de bário 10 mL kg-1 misturada com óleo mineral na proporção de 70% de sulfato de bário para 30% de óleo. Posteriormente, os animais foram radiografados dorso-ventralmente, com o aparelho de raios-X regulado para 72 Kv e 200 mA, em intervalos de tempo pré-estabelecidos. Em média, cinco minutos após a administração do contraste, a porção proximal do estômago estava preenchida. Após 16 horas, o contraste progrediu para o intestino delgado. Com 48 horas, todo o intestino delgado e parte do intestino grosso estavam preenchidos. No 9 dia o estômago apresentava-se vazio e o contraste progrediu para o cólon. No 11 dia, o contraste encontrava-se na região do reto e o duodeno encontrava-se vazio. No 14 dia, o intestino delgado já estava totalmente sem preenchimento. No 18 dia, todo o contraste foi eliminado. O tempo total de eliminação do contraste foi, em média, de 17,6 ± 2,4 dias, sendo o mínimo de 12 e o máximo de 22 dias em temperatura média de 27°C. A digestão do alimento foi mais lenta no duodeno e mais alta no cólon-reto, que alcançou menores índices de repleção.

Anatomical Behavior of the Celiacomesenteric Artery of Pirarucu Arapaima gigas Cuvier, 1817 (Osteoglossiforme, Arapaimidae) / Comportamiento Anatómico de la Arteria Celiacomesentérica en Pirarucu Arapaima gigas Cuvier, 1817 (Osteoglosiforme, Arapaimidae)

The pirarucu, Arapaimidae family fish, is one of the most important and emblematic species of Amazon. To investigate their circulatory system anatomies features were used 10 specimens with 74 cm medium total length, from river Araguaia lakes, Sao Miguel do Araguaia, Goias, Brazil. The fishes had their celomatic cavity open with dorsal aorta artery identified and cannulation where was injected synthetic latex. Fixation of those specimens was by injection of 10% formalin. In that specie, the coeliac-mesenteric artery is the only one arterial vessel responsible to digestive tract flow and always ramified from 2nd, 3rd and 4th left efferent branchial arteries. The stomach is flowing by coeliac artery and a gastric branch of the cecal ventral artery; intestine receives coeliac-mesenteric artery branchs and cranial and caudal mesenteries arteries branchs; the dorsal and ventral cecum are supplied by cecal dorsal and ventral arteries respectively.

El pirarucu, pez de la familia Arapaimidae, es una de las especies más importantes y emblemáticas de la ictiofauna amazónica. Para estudiar las características anatómicas de su sistema circulatorio, fueron utilizados 10 ejemplares de Arapaima gigas, con un longitud total media de 74 cm, provenientes de lagos del río Araguaia, Sao Miguel do Araguaia, Goiás, Brasil. A los peces se les abrió la cavidad celomática donde se identificó y canalizó la arteria aorta dorsal, injectándose una solución coloreada de látex sintético. La fijación del material se realizó con inyecciones de formol al 10%. La arteria celiacomesentérica es responsable de la irrigación del tubo digestivo y tiene origen en las 2ª, 3ª y 4ª arterias branquiales eferentes izquierdas. El estómago está irrigado por la arteria celíaca y por una rama gástrica de la arteria cecal ventral. El intestino recibe ramas arteriales procedentes de la arteria celiacomesentérica y de las arterias mesentéricas craneal y caudal; los ciegos dorsal y ventral están irrigados por las arterias cecales dorsal y ventral, respectivamente.