2019 年 53 巻 1 号 p. 95-102
Most studies on the filiform papillae of the lingual dorsum in the Felidae family have been on domestic cats (Felis catus). The sole study on the lingual papillae of the lion (Panthera leo) has only described the surface morphology of the epithelial papillae. Our objective in this study was to observe the microvascular architecture of the filiform papillae of the lingual dorsum in the lion and identify its morphological characteristics. Two lion cadavers owned by the university were used. Acrylic resin was injected from the bilateral common carotid arteries, and microvascular corrosion casts of the tongues were prepared. The lingual dorsum was divided into four areas comprising the apical, anterior, middle and posterior regions of the tongue, and observations were made in three portions of each area, making a total of 12 locations. The microvascular architecture of the filiform papillae at each site was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The architecture of the filiform papillae consisted of a capillary plexus and capillary loops projecting upward from a cylindrical or elliptical base. The capillary plexus was located on the side closest to the pharynx, was inclined pharyngeally, and was conical or columnar in shape. Numerous capillary loops were present, arranged in ellipses or circles. In the hairpin‐shaped capillary loops, a single ascending limb passed through the venular network, then made a hairpin‐shaped U‐turn before flowing into the venular network, usually as a single limb, but sometimes dividing into two or three. In the posterior region, the papillae contained a single conical capillary plexus and a double circle of capillary loops. We have named this type of filiform papilla the “single conical double circular filiform papilla." This morphology has not been reported in domestic cats and may be a specific characteristic of the filiform papillae of the lingual dorsum in lions. (J Osaka Dent Univ 2019; 53: 95‐102)
