Authors : C.S. Ibe, B.I. Onyeanusi, S.O. Salami, I.E. Ajayi and J.O. Nzalak
Abstract: African giant pouched rats are currently explored as laboratory model of haematological investigations but few detailed anatomical descriptions have been made of their spleen, limiting their use for such biomedical research. We studied the architecture of the spleen in six adult and clinically healthy African giant pouched rats by gross observation and light microscopy. The spleen was a long slipper-shaped and dorso-ventrally flattened organ lying on the left lateral surface of the abdominal cavity, medial to the lateral abdominal wall and lateral to the greater curvature of the stomach. Statistical analysis showed an average spleen weight of 3.31 g (±0.54) and length of 6.44 mm (±0.48). The spleen constituted 0.313% of the body weight and 2.069% of the nose-rump length. There was a very strong positive correlation between body weight and spleen weight (r = 0.958).
C.S. Ibe, B.I. Onyeanusi, S.O. Salami, I.E. Ajayi and J.O. Nzalak, 2010. On the Structure of the Spleen in the African Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse 1840). Veterinary Research, 3: 70-74.