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Rabbit large intestine has a segment‐specific morphology and motility. However, the morphological features of the myenteric plexus, which controls intestinal motility, have not been characterized in each large intestinal segment. We investigated the myenteric plexus morphology in the rabbit large intestine using protein gene product 9.5 immunohistochemistry in whole‐mount preparations. The tenial part of the first and second segments of the proximal colon had the most well developed myenteric plexus, while the caecum had the least. These findings suggest different neuronal control over the motility of each intestinal segment, thereby providing a fundamental understanding of the rabbit enteric nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rabbit midcingulate cortex that enclosed four cortical areas was immunohistochemically studied using a calcium‐binding protein, parvalbumin, as a neurochemical marker. The distribution of parvalbumin‐immunopositive somata and fibres was similar across all four areas, where they were present mainly in layers 2/3 and 5. However, there were a slightly greater number of the immunopositive structures in the two ventral areas than the two dorsal areas. Similarity in the distribution of parvalbumin‐immunopositive structures across the four areas suggests that neurons expressing parvalbumin may be involved in similar functions across the constituent areas of the rabbit midcingulate cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal surgery is commonly performed to cure bowel obstruction in rabbits, but detailed descriptions of the arterial supply to the intestine are incomplete. We investigated anatomical variations of the distribution of the cranial mesenteric artery to the intestine in 33 New Zealand White rabbits by injecting colored latex into the arteries. The cranial mesenteric artery arose independently from the abdominal aorta at about 2.0 cm caudal to the celiac artery and branched off the pancreaticoduodenal, middle colic, ileocecocolic, jejunal and ileal arteries. One or occasionally two caudal pancreaticoduodenal arteries supplied the distal duodenum, and one to three middle colic arteries supplied the transverse colon and the initial portion of the descending colon. The ileocecocolic artery arose distal to the middle colic arteries and provided the right colic, ileocecal and appendicular arteries, and branches to the proximal colon, with various branching patterns, which were grouped into four major types. These arteries and branches supplied the ileum, cecum, appendix and proximal colon. The cranial mesenteric artery also provided the jejunal arteries (predominantly 17; range 11–21) and one ileal artery supplying the jejunum and proximal ileum, respectively. The results show that the distribution patterns of the cranial mesenteric artery to the intestine in the rabbit are highly specialized to this species. Such specialization should always be considered when performing intestinal surgery in rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]