Participation of the Intercostal Nerves to the Innervation of the Diaphragm Muscle in Cavia porcellus

Abstract

Introduction The diaphragm is the leading respiratory muscle. It is innervated mainly by the diaphragmatic nerve, and, in some species, by the delicate fibers of the intercostal nerves. In guinea pigs, there is no description of these anatomic structures that innerve this important muscle. This study aimed to analyze the participation of the intercostal nerves to the innervations of the diaphragm of guinea pigs of both sexes.

Materials and Methods We studied 40 guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) of both sexes. We fixed and dissected the diaphragm of the specimens used in the experiment to assess the path of the intercostals nerves in both the body antimeres.

Results The diaphragm was innervated by the intercostal nerve pairs 6 through 12, and, less frequently, by the 8^th nerve (38/40 = 95%), followed by the 7^th (36/40 = 90%) and subsequently by the 9^th (32/40 = 80%). The 12^th nerve presented the lowest frequency (2/20 = 10%) in both genders. All nerve pairs displayed similar occurrence compared with the gender and the antimeric disposition. The only exception was the 9th nerve, which presented a significant variation of the occurrence, both in relation to gender and antimeric disposition. From a statistic point of view, all nerves were independent. We observed no correlation between the gender and their position.

Conclusions We shall conclude that the diaphragm of guinea pigs is innervated by the 6^th through 12^th pairs of intercostal nerves, with the 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th being the primary providers. There is no interference of the variables gender or antimeric disposition on the behavior of the intercostal nerves of guinea pigs as refers to their origin and participation to the innervations of the diaphragm.

Keywords

guinea pig - diaphragmatic muscle - innervation

• References

• 1 Druz WS, Sharp JT. Activity of respiratory muscles in upright and recumbent humans. J Appl Physiol 1981; 51 (06) 1552-1561
• 2 Lessa TB, de Abreu DK, Bertassoli BM, Ambrósio CE. Diaphragm: A vital respiratory muscle in mammals. Ann Anat 2016; 205: 122-127
• 3 Shindoh C, Murakami Y, Shishido R, Sasaki K, Nishio T, Miura M. Tulobuterol patch maintains diaphragm muscle contractility for over twenty-four hours in a mouse model of sepsis. Tohoku J Exp Med 2009; 218 (04) 271-278
• 4 Rosenblueth A, Alanís J, Pilar G. The accessory motor innervation of the diaphragm. Arch Int Physiol Biochim 1961; 69: 19-25
• 5 Almeida AEF, Wenceslau CV, Teixeira DG. , et al. Morfofisiologia da inervação do diafragma de ovinos. Pesqui Vet Bras 2008; 28 (09) 399-409
• 6 Andrei O. Sulle alterazioni anatomiche del diafragma che susseguono adeserei del nervo frênico. Arch. Ital. Cirur. 1928; 21: 313-328
• 7 Bertelli D. Distribuzione dei nervi frenice nei diaframma nei mammiferi. Arch Ital Anat Embriol 1933; 32 (01) 110-148
• 8 Bertelli O. Ricerche sulla morfologia del musculo diafragm a nei mammiferi. Arch. Scient. Med. Vet. v. l9, n.4, p.381–437, 1985
• 9 Bertelli D. Contributo ala del anatomia del diaframma nei carnivori. Monit. Zool. Ital. 1894; 1 (9–10): 211-215
• 10 Dyce, K.M.; Sack, W.O.; Wensing, C.J.G. Tratado de Anatomia Veterinária. 3.ed. Guanabara Koogan, Rio de Janeiro, 2004. p.307–308
• 11 Fontes V. Notes anatomo physiologiques sur l'etude deu muscle diaphragm. Arq Anat Antropol 1934; 17 (07) 34-36
• 12 Ghoshal NG. Nervos espinhais. In: Getty R. (ed.), Anatomia dos Animais Domésticos. 5.ed. Guanabara Koogan: Rio de Janeiro; 1975: 1052-1055
• 13 Zimmerl U. Sistema nervoso. In: BOSSI V., CARADONNA G.B., SPAMPANI G., VARALDI L. & ZIMMERL U. (ed.), Trattato di Anatomia Veterinária.v.3. Francesco Vallardi, Milano; 1909: 228-229
• 14 Chou Y-L, Davenport PW. Phrenic nerve afferents elicited cord dorsum potential in the cat cervical spinal cord. BMC Physiol 2005; 5 (01) 7
• 15 Davenport PW, Shannon R, Mercak A, Reep RL, Lindsey BG. Cerebral cortical evoked potentials elicited by cat intercostal muscle mechanoreceptors. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1993; 74 (02) 799-804
• 16 Faria MD, Seyfert CE, Gagliardo KM, Clébis NK. Participação dos nervos intercostais na inervação do diagragma de gatos Felis Catus, Linnaeus, 1758. Braz J Vet Res Anim Sci 2011; 48 (04) 315-318
• 17 MIA A. The innervation of the diaphragm in zebu cattle (Bos indicus). Bangladesh Vet. J. 1973; 1: 29-32
• 18 Moura CEB, Albuquerque JFG, Magalhães MS, Silva NBS, Oliveira MF, Papa PC. Análise comparativa da origem do plexo branquial de catetos (Tayassu tajacu). Pesqui Vet Bras 2007; 27 (09) 357362
• 19 Souza Neto JRN, Branco É, Giese EG, Lima AR. Morphological Characterization of Diaphragm in Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus). An Acad Bras Cienc 2018; 90 (01) 169-178
• 20 Netter FH. Atlas de Anatomia Humana. 2.ed. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2000. 640p.
• 21 Gradela A, Nunes AKR, Matos MHT, Franzo VS. FARIA, M.D.; MOREIRA, M.B.;SANTOS, J.M. Descrição morfológica e morfométrica da glândula vesicular de cobaias durante o desenvolvimento pós-natal. Pesqui Vet Bras 2013; 33 (07) 942-948
• 22 Gradela A, Nunes AKR, Martins LFT. , et al. Estudo morfológico e morfométrico da próstata de cobaios (Cavia porcellus, Linnaeus, 1758) durante o desenvolvimento pós-natal. Biotemas 2013; a 26 (04) 221-231
• 23 Suzuki O, Koura M, Noguchi Y, Takano K, Yamamoto Y, Matsuda J. Optimization of superovulation induction by human menopausal gonadotropin in guinea pigs based on follicular waves and FSH-receptor homologies. Mol Reprod Dev 2003; 64 (02) 219-225
• 24 Melo APF, Souza WM, Miglino MA. Branches of the intercostal nerves supplyng the diaphragm in dogs. Braz J Morphol Sci 1999; 16 (01) 61-63
• 25 de Oliveira HF, de Faria MD, Melo APF, Ferraz RHS. Estudo anatômico sobre a participação dos nervos intercostais na inervação do diafragma em fetos de bovinos azebuados. Vet Not 2001; 7 (02) 23-26