Morphological and functional features of the head and neck lymph nodes in rabbits

The aim of the study was to investigate the morphological and functional features of the head and neck lymph nodes in rabbits. The following objectives were addressed: to study the macroanatomy, topography and microanatomy of the lymph nodes. The study was conducted on 20 clinically healthy rabbits aged 3-5 months and weighing 2.5-3.0 kg. In rabbits, there are six main groups of lymph nodes in the head and neck region: the retropharyngeal (lateral and medial), mandibular, accessory mandibular, parotid, cranial, and caudal cervical nodes. The mandibular nodes are the largest in length (7.27 ± 0.13 mm), while the retropharyngeal nodes are the largest in width (3.98 ± 0.05 mm). The accessory mandibular node has the smallest size (3.08 ± 0.07 mm) and is absent in 15% of animals. Histological analysis confirmed the classical organization of lymphoid tissue with distinct cortical, paracortical, and medullary zones. Thus, the study showed that the lymph nodes of the head and neck in rabbits have a clearly differentiated morphology and perform important immune functions. The data obtained allow us to better understand the characteristics of the lymphatic system of rabbits, as well as use them as a model for studying immunological, infectious and oncological processes in mammals, including humans.