Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

, Volume 40, Issue 4, pp 363–368 | Cite as

Are the Thalamic Projections of Nucleus Z of the Medulla Oblongata Reorganized after Partial Deafferentation of the Ventrolateral Nucleus of the Thalamus?

  • S. A. Badalyan
  • V. A. Sargsyan
  • Dzh. S. Sarkisyan
Article
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The possible plastic reorganization of projections from the somatosensory relay nucleus Z of the cat medulla oblongata to the partially deafferented ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus was studied by retrograde labeling with horseradish peroxidase. Partial deafferentation of the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus was produced by prior (three months) electrolytic destruction of the contralateral cerebellar interpositus nucleus or the lateral vestibular nucleus of Deiters. The results demonstrated local intense labeling of a group of neurons in nucleus Z, and there was a small group of labeled neurons in cell group x of the vestibular complex projecting to the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus, where these projections were found to overlap with those from the cerebellar nuclei. After lesioning of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus or lateral vestibular nucleus of Deiters, ipsilateral projections in the monosynaptic circuit consisting of nucleus Z and the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus did not form. The absence of reorganization of projections from nucleus Z to the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus in terms of the formation of ipsilateral projections may be associated with its being part of the somatosensory relay nucleus, which is specialized for relaying and transmitting information strictly of the specific proprioceptive modality.

Key words

nucleus Z of the medulla oblongata ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus reorganization of projections cerebellar interpositus nucleus vestibular nucleus of Deiters cat horseradish peroxidase 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  • S. A. Badalyan
    • 1
  • V. A. Sargsyan
    • 1
  • Dzh. S. Sarkisyan
    • 1
  1. 1.Sensorimotor Integration Laboratory and CNS Functional Compensation Physiology LaboratoryL. A. Orbeli Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of ArmeniaErevanArmenia

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