Arterial supply to the adrenal gland in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Abstract

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) has attracted much attention as a nonhuman primate animal model for stress-related experiments. The adrenal gland plays a key role in stress responses and has abundant vasculature, through which the hypothalamic-pituitary axis hormonally controls its activity. Understanding the arterial supply pattern to the gland is fundamental to understanding its function and performing experiments. We therefore traced the arteries supplying the adrenal gland in six male and nine female common marmosets using the latex injection method. The adrenal artery originates from one to four parent arteries, including the caudal phrenic, celiac, left gastric, gonadal, and renal arteries and the abdominal aorta. The branching pattern of the adrenal arteries was divided into Types 1 to 4, having 1-4 parent arteries, respectively. Type 2 was most frequent on the right side (seven of 15 halves, 46%), whereas Type 3 was most frequent on the left (eight of 15 halves, 53%). The number of cranial, middle, and caudal adrenal arteries ranged from one to four in the cranial, one to five in the middle, and one to six in the caudal adrenal arteries. The total number of adrenal arteries varied from three to 13, predominantly as five on one side. The present study revealed frequent individual variations in the origin and number of adrenal arteries in the common marmoset, which may be informative for further research involving the adrenal glands in this species.

Keywords: adrenal artery; anatomical variation; common marmoset; macroscopic anatomy.

Fig. 1.

Photographs of branching patterns of the adrenal arteries and related structures on the right side in the ventral view. a: Type 1 ramification pattern of the adrenal artery. In this case, the caudal phrenic artery gives rise to a cranial, middle, and caudal adrenal artery. b: Type 2 ramification pattern of the adrenal artery. In this case, the caudal phrenic artery gives rise to a cranial and middle adrenal artery, and the renal artery gives rise to two caudal adrenal arteries. c: Type 3 ramification pattern of the adrenal arteries. The caudal phrenic artery gives rise to one cranial and two middle adrenal arteries. Each of the caudal phrenic, gonadal, and renal arteries gives rise to one caudal adrenal artery. The caudal adrenal arteries therefore originate from three different parent arteries. Asterisk indicates a common trunk of the middle and caudal adrenal arteries arising from the caudal phrenic artery. The inset displays the branching pattern of this asterisked common trunk on the dorsal surface of the adrenal gland. d: Type 4 ramification pattern of the adrenal artery. In this case, the celiac artery gives rise to one cranial adrenal artery. The caudal phrenic artery gives rise to one middle adrenal artery. The caudal phrenic artery also gives rise to two caudal adrenal arteries, and each of the gonadal and renal arteries gives rise to one caudal adrenal artery. Thus, in total, four caudal adrenal arteries are present. AA, abdominal aorta; Ad, adrenal gland; Ca, caudal adrenal artery; CaPA, caudal phrenic artery; CeA, celiac artery; Cr, cranial adrenal artery; GA, gonadal artery; Ki, kidney; Mi, middle adrenal artery; and RA, renal artery.

Fig. 2.

Schematic ventral view drawings of the branching patterns categorized as Type 1 (a), Type 2 (b₁to b₅), Type 3 (c₁to c₇), and Type 4 (d₁to d₃). Drawings display the origins, number, and approximate course of the adrenal arteries. The adrenal arteries are depicted in red, with other arteries depicted in dark pink. The drawings depicting arteries on the right side represent the patterns detected on both sides, while those depicted on the left side are the patterns detected on the left side only. AA, abdominal aorta; Ad, adrenal gland; Ca, caudal adrenal artery; CaPA, caudal phrenic artery; CB, capsular branch; CeA, celiac artery; Cr, cranial adrenal artery; CrMA, cranial mesenteric artery; GA, gonadal artery; Ki, kidney; LGA, left gastric artery; Mi, middle adrenal artery; and RA, renal artery.