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The Renal Structure in an Asian Elephant ( Elephas maximus )
Author(s) -
Endo H.,
Akihisa N.,
Sasaki M.,
Yamamoto M.,
Arishima K.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
anatomia, histologia, embryologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.34
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1439-0264
pISSN - 0340-2096
DOI - 10.1046/j.1439-0264.2002.00381.x
Subject(s) - elephas , glomerulus , anatomy , kidney , biology , kidney glomerulus , glomerulonephritis , zoology , endocrinology
Summary The renal structure of a female Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) was observed in both macroscopic and light microscopic levels. The left kidney was elongated‐ellipse in shape, whereas the right appeared round. The left kidney was 31 cm in cranio‐caudal length, 21 cm in medio‐lateral length, and 2950 g in weight. The right kidney was 34 cm in cranio‐caudal length, 22 cm in medio‐lateral length, and 3250 g in weight. The external appearance showed the six separated renal lobes in both sides of the kidney. The four pairs of the lobes were fused in the deepest region in both sides of kidney, so we considered it as an incompletely lobated kidney in this species. We observed the proximal and distal urinary tubules in histological sections. Many renal corpuscles consisted of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule. Many mesangial cells and some podocytes were confirmed in each glomerulus; however, Bowman's capsules were larger than those in other mammalian species.