Investigation of the relationship between laterality and vertebral arteries in rabbits

Cerebral dominancy is well known on laterality; however, histological analysis of vertebral artery dominance has not been adequately studied. It was aimed to investigate

the relationship between the dominant vertebral artery and hand preference. In this study, which fifteen male rabbits were examined, paw preference was evaluated with a

food-reaching test. Vertebral artery samples just entering to the cranium were obtained from right- and left-pawed rabbits to evaluate luminal surface values histologically.

Handedness preferences and vertebral arteries lumen surface values were compared statistically using the Mann–Whitney U test. As a result of the measurements made,

the vertebral artery on the side with a larger diameter was accepted as dominant. The larger lumen surface values were found in the left vertebral artery than in the right

vertebral artery in right-handed rabbits and vice versa. The mean lumen surface values of the left/right vertebral arteries were 0.395±0.068 / 0.305±0.034 mm2 in the rightpawed animals (p<0.0001); 0.298±0.032 / 0,364±0.049 mm2 in the left-pawed animals (p<0.001) and 0.389±0.061 / 0.354±0.054 mm2 both pawed animals (p<0.001). The

vertebral artery was accepted to be dominant when there were different arterial lumen diameters from side to side. Arterial luminal diameter was dominant in 53% of the

cases on the left and in 33% on the right. Left and right arterial lumen diameters were equal in 13% of cases. As a conclusion, it was found that, vertebral artery dominancy

may have predictive roles in the determination of handedness.