GENERAL STRUCTURE AND PRINCIPLES OF MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF GREATER OMENTUM IN WHITE RATS

Abstract

The greater omentum is an organ belonging to the peripheral part of the immune system as it contains specialized lymphoid structures, known as milky spots. Moreover, the greater omentum plays an important role in the process of renewal and maintaining the quantitative constancy of the peritoneal fluid. According to the literature, the greater omentum of white rats in its main morphological features (in miniature) is homologous compared to a human one. The purpose of the study is to investigate the general structure and the principles of morphometric analysis of the greater omentum in white rats. Materials and methods. The experiment involved 15 white male rats of reproductive age, weighing from 278.08 to 346.47 g. After vivisection, carried out by an overdose of thiopental-sodium anesthesia, the abdominal cavity was opened providing an access to a complete examination of the internal organs in their natural positions; we took photographs and started a direct study of the greater omentum. Results and discussion. During a general examination of the contents of the peritoneal cavity of 15 test animals, we found out the greater omentum was not always present in its typical form; in 3 cases, it was hidden between the loops of the small intestine. Linear measurements of the size of the greater omentum were performed, the data obtained as a result of studying the corresponding sample of animals, were plotted in a frame of rectangular coordinates along the abscissa and ordinate axes, respectively; on the graph, they were visualized with parallel lines, and a visual diagram of the individual variability of the area of the greater omentum was obtained. Conclusion. When studying the greater omentum of a certain quantitative sample in white rats, it may turn out that in some cases it will be in a latent form, located mainly among the loops of the small intestine. The greater omentum of white rats is characterized by significant individual variability in shape and size that is not amenable to strict metric analysis, especially when determining its area, which is the main indicator of its surface contact with the peritoneal fluid, and, consequently, with its antigenic composition.