Gross and microscopic developmental study of the local rabbit’s spinal cord

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate developmental changes in the spinal cord in rabbit after birth till adulthood period. To conduct that, six local rabbits aged 2 weeks, 2 months and adults were selected. Gross findings showed that the spinal cord was constructed from 37 segments which were compressed dorso-ventrally in all studied ages. The organ showed two distinct enlargements (cervical and lumbar). Out of all segments, the lumbar segments were the longest in all studied ages, whereas, the shortest were the sacral segments in the rabbits aged 2 weeks and the cervical segment in 2 months and adults. Microscopically, each spinal cord segment revealed two main elements that were grey matter and white matter. The grey matter looks like a butter-fly in shape which has two thin dorsal horns and two other thick ventral horns. Three types of neurons were detected in the grey matter according to their sizes in addition to the presence of two types of glial cells. In conclusions, highest changes in the spinal cord segments were clearly observed in the period extended between 2 weeks and 2 months of age.