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Retrograde labeling of neurons in the brain stem following injections of [3H]choline into the forebrain of the rat

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Summary

In an attempt to identify cholinergic neurons of the brain stem which project to the forebrain, retrograde labeling of neurons in the brain stem was examined by autoradiography following injections of 20 μCi [3H]choline into the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal forebrain and frontal cortex. After injections into the thalamus, retrogradely labeled neurons were evident within the lateral caudal mesencephalic and dorsolateral oral pontine tegmentum (particularly in the laterodorsal and pedunculopontine tegmental nuclei) and in smaller number within the latero-medial caudal pontine (Reticularis pontis caudalis, Rpc) and medullary (Reticularis gigantocellularis, Rgc) reticular formation. Following [3H]choline injections into the lateral hypothalamus and into the basal forebrain, retrogradely labeled neurons were localized in the dorsolateral caudal midbrain and oral pontine tegmentum and in smaller number in the medial medullary reticular formation (Rgc), as well as in the midbrain, pontine and medullary raphe nuclei. After injections into the anterior medial frontal cortex, a small number of retrogradely labeled cells were found in the brain stem within the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and the dorsal raphe nucleus. In a parallel immunohistochemical study, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons were found to be located in most of the regions of the reticular formation where cells were retrogradely labeled from the forebrain following [3H]choline injections. These results suggest that multiple cholinergic neurons within the lateral caudal midbrain and dorsolateral oral pontine tegmentum and a few within the caudal pontine and medullary reticular formation project to the thalamus, hypothalamus and basal forebrain and that a limited number of pontine cholinergic neurons project to the frontal cortex.

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Abbreviations

3:

oculomotor nuc

4:

trochlear nuc

4V:

fourth ventricle

6:

abducens nuc

7:

facial nuc

7n:

facial nerve

8n:

vestibulocochlear nerve

10:

dorsal motor nuc vagus

12:

hypoglossal nuc

12n:

hypoglossal nerve

Amb:

ambiguus nuc

Aq:

cerebral aqueduct

bic:

brachium inf colliculus

CB:

cerebellum

CG:

central gray

CLi:

caudal linear nuc raphe

Cnf:

cuneiform nuc

cp:

cerebral peduncle

Cu:

cuneate nuc

D:

nuc Darkschewitsch

DCo:

dorsal cochlear nuc

DLL:

dorsal nuc lateral lemniscus

DPB:

dorsal parabrachial nuc

DR:

dorsal raphe nuc

dsc:

dorsal spinocerebellar tract

DTg:

dorsal tegmental nuc

dtgx:

dorsal tegmental decussation

ECu:

external cuneate nuc

Fl:

flocculus

IC:

inferior colliculus

icp:

inferior cerebellar peduncle

IF:

interfascicular nuc

InC:

interstitial nuc Cajal

IO:

inferior olive

IP:

interpeduncular nuc

KF:

Kolliker-Fuse nuc

LC:

locus coeruleus

Ldt:

laterodorsal tegmental nuc

Ifp:

longitudinal fasciculus pons

ll:

lateral lemniscus

LRt:

lateral reticular nuc

LRtS5:

lateral reticular nucsubtrigeminal

LSO:

lateral superior olive

LTz:

lateral nuctrapezoid body

LVe:

lateral vestibular nuc

mcp:

middle cerebellar peduncle

Me5:

mesencephalic trigeminal nuc

MGD:

medial geniculate nuc, dorsal

ml:

medial lemniscus

mlf:

medial longitudinal fasciculus

MnR:

median raphe nuc

Mo5:

motor trigeminal nuc

MSO:

medial superior olive

MTz:

medial nuc trapezoid bbody

MVe:

medial vestibular nuc

PBg:

parabigeminal nuc

Pgl:

nuc paragigantocellularis lateralis

Pn:

pontine nuc

PPTg:

pedunculopontine tegmental nuc

Pr5:

principal sensory trigeminal

PrH:

prepositive hypoglossal nuc

py:

pyramidal tract

Rgc:

reticularis gigantocellularis

Rgca:

reticularis gigantocellularis pars alpha

Rmes:

reticularis mesencephali

RMg:

raphe magnus nuc

RN:

red nuc

Ro:

nuc Roller

ROb:

raphe obscurus nuc

Rp:

reticularis parvicellularis

RPa:

raphe pallidus nuc

Rpc:

reticularis ponds caudalis

RPn:

raphe pontis nuc

Rpo:

reticularis pontis oralis

RR:

retrorubral nuc

rs:

rubrospinal tract

RtTg:

reticulotegmental nuc pons

s5:

sensory root trigeminal nerve

SC:

superior colliculus

SCD:

superior colliculus,deep layer

SCI:

superior colliculus, intermediate layer

scp:

superior cerebellar peduncle

SCS:

superior colliculus, superficial layer

SGe:

suprageniculate nuc pons

SNC:

substantia nigra compact

SNL:

substantia nigra,lateral

SNR:

substantia nigra, reticular

SolL:

solitary tract nuc,lateral

SolM:

solitary tract nuc, medial

sp5:

spinal tract trigeminal nerve

sp5I:

spinal trigeminal nuc, interpositus

Sp5O:

spinal trigeminal nuc, oral

spth:

spinothalamic tract

SpVe:

spinal vestibular nuc

SuVe:

superior vestibular nuc

tp:

tectopontine

ts:

tectospinal tract

tz:

trapezoid body

VCo:

ventral cochlear nuc

VLL:

ventral nuc lateral lemniscus

VPB:

ventral parabrachial nuc

vsc:

ventral spinocerebellar tract

VTA:

ventral tegmental area

VTg:

ventral tegmental nuc

vtgx:

ventral tegmental decussation

xscp:

decussation superior cerebellar peduncle

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Canada

    B. E. Jones & A. Beaudet

  2. Neuroanatomy Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University Street, H3A 2B4, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    B. E. Jones & A. Beaudet

Authors
  1. B. E. Jones
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  2. A. Beaudet
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Additional information

This investigation was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council (MRC) of Canada (MT-6464: BEJ and MT 7376: AB). B.E. Jones holds a Chercheur Boursier Senior Award from the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Quebec (FRSQ), and A. Beaudet a Scientist Award from MRC

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Jones, B.E., Beaudet, A. Retrograde labeling of neurons in the brain stem following injections of [3H]choline into the forebrain of the rat. Exp Brain Res 65, 437–448 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236317

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236317

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