White New Zealand rabbit intraorbital glands - Age, weight and morphometry

D. S. Dimitrov

Abstract: The deep gland of the third eyelid (Harderian gland), the inferior and superior lachrymal glands is basic structural and functional units in the rabbit intraorbital gland,s complex. The lack of data about the weight and morphometrical agest parameters of the rabbit intraorbital glands in the specialized literature motivated us to conduct the following investigation. In the present study is used material from the Harderian gland, the inferior and superior lachrymal glands of 48 white New Zealand rabbits divided equally from both sexes into 8 groups - 21, 28, 36, 43, 51, 58, 94 and 110 days old. After the removal of the glands before fixation, were determined their weight, longitude and circumference of every organ. The results were calculated with statistical computer program. The analysis of the retrieved data proved that during the examined period the weight of the Harderian gland of the New Zealand rabbits increased 13.25 times, the longitude increased 3.13 times and the circumference increased 2.37 times. The weight of the inferior and superior lachrymal glands increased 10.8 and 4.51 times, the longitude increased 2.9 and 3.01 times, and circumference increased 1.83 and 3.15 times.

Keywords: Intraorbital glands; morphometry; Rabbit; weight

Date published: 2019-02-27