Macroanatomical investigation of atrioventricular valves and intraventricular structures in chinchilla (chinchilla lanigera) hearts

In this study, atrioventricular valves and intraventricular structures were macroanatomically investigated in 20 chinchilla hearts. After the hearts were fixed in 10% formalin, they were examined under a stereo microscope, and findings were collected and recorded. Findings were visualized using the Fuji Film Finepix camera. It was determined that Valva atrioventricularis dextra has three leaflets, cuspis septalis, cuspis parietalis and cuspis angularis, and valva atrioventriculare sinistra has two leaflets, cuspis septalis and cuspis parietalis. It has been determined that chordae tendineae emerge from the free edges of the cuspis and adhere to the m. papillaris. Musculus papillaris subarteriosus, m. papillaris magnus and mm. papillaris parvi was observed in ventriculus dexter. mm. Although the number of papillaris parvi varies between 1 and 3 from animal to animal, it was often recorded as 1 in the hearts examined. It has been determined that their shape is often like a flat strip. Two papillary muscles, m. papillaris subauricularis and subatrialis, were observed in ventriculus sinister. It has been determined that these two muscles are found in 1 in all hearts and they are divided into a variety of (2-5) heads. It has been noted that some cuspids attach directly to the free edge of the cuspis. In all hearts examined, chordae tendineae originating from the papillary muscles were observed to attach to both cuspis. M. papillaris subauricularis was generally conical in shape (in some hearts a flat cylindrical shape), m. papillaris subatrialis was generally cylindrical and located on the outer wall of the ventriculus sinister.