Macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of heart in the common pheasant) Phasianus colchicus)
Hadis Ramezani
2026
This study investigates the morphological and
morphometric characteristics of the heart and major arteries in the common
pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Five adult male birds were used as
samples. Various morphometric and histomorphometric parameters of the heart and
its major arteries were measured. The detailed structure of the cardiac
chambers was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the
expression patterns of desmin and ?-SMA proteins were evaluated through
immunohistochemical staining. The heart exhibited an elongated, conical shape,
with mean length and width of 2.94 ± 0.46 cm and 2.38 ± 0.15 cm, respectively.
In the right ventricle, the basal and apical regions were thinner than the
middle region (P<0.05). Overall, the thickness of both left and right
ventricular walls decreased from base to apex. Although the wall thickness and
luminal diameter of the left brachiocephalic trunk and left pulmonary artery
were greater than their right counterparts, these differences were not statistically
significant (P>0.05). In contrast, these parameters were significantly
higher in the aorta and brachiocephalic trunks compared to the pulmonary
arteries (P<0.05). The parietal wall of the right ventricle consisted of two
distinct muscular layers. The thickness of the left ventricular wall in the
middle and apical regions was approximately four and three times greater than
that of the right ventricle, respectively. SEM observations revealed that the
muscular right atrioventricular valve was connected to the free wall of the
right ventricle by several muscular cords. The chordae tendineae of the left
atrioventricular valve exhibited a branched appearance, with each chord
composed of three to four thinner intertwined strands attached to a common
papillary muscle. The Purkinje fiber network was extensively distributed
throughout the myocardium, exhibited strong immunoreactivity for desmin, and
was negative for ?-SMA. While the patterns of ventricular wall thickness, valve
structure, and the extensive Purkinje fiber network reflect the functional
differentiation of various cardiac regions and the adaptation of the heart and
major arteries to the hemodynamic demands of birds, the unique structure of the
muscular right atrioventricular valve adds subtlety to avian valvular diversity
and highlights anatomical differences among bird species. Furthermore, the
observed immunohistochemical differences, including positive desmin reactivity
and negative ?-SMA expression in Purkinje fibers, indicate specialized structural
mechanisms for rapid electrical conduction and coordinated ventricular
contraction
Keyword: common
pheasant, avian, cardiovascular system, Immunohistochemistry