El resumen aparece en el Program & Abstracts of the 10th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, Barcelona 2013.Anatomical Record, Volume 296, Special Feature — 1: P-089.Two major findings have significantly improved our understanding of the
embryology and evolution of the arterial pole of the vertebrate heart (APVH): 1) a
new embryonic presumptive cardiac tissue, named second heart field (SHF), forms
the myocardium of the outflow tract, and the walls of the ascending aorta (AA) and
the pulmonary trunk (PT) in mammals and birds; 2) the bulbus arteriosus (BA),
previously thought to be an actinopterygian apomorphy, is present in all basal
Vertebrates, and probably derives from the SHF. We hypothesized that the
intrapericardial portions of the AA and the PT of mammals are homologous to the
BA of basal vertebrates. To test this, we performed 1) a literature review of the
anatomy and embryology of the APVH; 2) novel anatomical, histomorphological,
and embryological analyses of the APVH, comparing basal (Galeus atlanticus), with
apical (Mus musculus and Mesocricetus auratus) vertrebrates. Evidence obtained:
1) Anatomically, BA, AA, and PT are muscular tubes into the pericardial cavity,
which connect the distal myocardial outflow tracts with the aortic arch system.
Coronary arteries run through or originate at these anatomical structures; 2)
Histologically, BA, AA, and PT show an inner layer of endothelium covered by
circumferentially oriented smooth muscle cells, collagen fibers, and lamellar
elastin. The histomorphological differences between the BA and the ventral aorta
parallel those between intrapericardial and extrapericardial great arteries; 3)
Embryologically, BA, AA, and PT are composed of smooth muscle cells derived
from the SHF. They show a similar mechanism of development: incorporation of
SHF‐derived cells into the pericardial cavity, and distal‐to‐proximal differentiation
into an elastogenic cell linage.
In conclusion, anatomical, histological and embryological evidence supports the
hypothesis that SHF is a developmental unit responsible for the formation of the
APVH. The BA and the intrapericardial portions of the great arteries must be
considered homologous structures.Proyecto P10-CTS-6068 (Junta de Andalucía); proyecto CGL-16417 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación); Fondos FEDER
