Skip to main content

Fluorescent double-labelling study of ascending and descending neurones in the feline lateral cervical nucleus

Experimental Brain Research volume 62, pages 479–485 (1986)Cite this article

Summary

The organization of ascending and descending neurones of the lateral cervical nucleus (LCN) was investigated in 10 adult cats after injections of the fluorescent tracers Fast Blue and Nuclear Yellow. Injections into the thalamus and tectum resulted in up to 3000 labelled cell profiles within the contralateral LCN. This corresponded to a calculated number of 4500 labelled LCN neurones. The greatest diameter of the labelled cell profiles was about 30 μm. They were located throughout the nucleus, but were less numerous in its medial portion. Injections mainly into the dorsal horn of different pairs of cervical and lumbar segments of the spinal cord resulted in a calculated number of up to 305 labelled LCN cells. The diameter of these cell profiles was about 25 μm and they were mainly situated in the rostro-ventral and medial parts of the LCN. Doublelabelled cells with ascending and descending projections were not encountered after injections into the thalamus-tectum and spinal segments C5-6. About 15% of the descending LCN cells were doublelabelled by pairs of spinal injections separated by intervals of one segment. It is concluded that the neurones descending down the spinal cord and ascending to the thalamus-tectum constitute different subpopulations of cells within the LCN and that a minor proportion of the descending cells seem to project to at least three adjacent segments of the spinal cord.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Bentivoglio M, Kuypers HGJM, Catsman-Berrevoets CE (1980a) Retrograde neuronal labeling by means of bisbenzimide and nuclear yellow (Hoechst S 769121). Measures to prevent diffusion of the tracers out of retrogradely labeled neurons. Neurosci Lett 18: 19–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentivoglio M, Kuypers HGJM, Catsman-Berrevoets CE, Loewe H, Dann O (1980b) Two new fluorescent retrograde neuronal tracers which are transported over long distances. Neurosci Lett 18: 25–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Berkley KJ, Worden IG (1978) Projections to the inferior olive of the cat. I. Comparisons of input from the dorsal column nuclei, the lateral cervical nucleus, the spino-olivary pathways, the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum. J Comp Neurol 180: 237–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Berkley KJ, Blomqvist A, Pelt A, Flink R (1980) Differences in the collateralization of neuronal projections from the dorsal column nuclei and the lateral cervical nucleus to the thalamus and tectum in the cat: an anatomical study using two different double-labeling techniques. Brain Res 202: 273–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Björkeland M, Boivie J (1982) Projections to the midbrain from lateral cervical nucleus in cat. Neuroscience 7 (Suppl): 28

    Google Scholar 

  • Blomqvist A, Flink R, Bowsher D, Grip S, Westman J (1978) Tectal and thalamic projections of dorsal column and lateral cervical nuclei: a quantitative study in the cat. Brain Res 141: 335–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Blomqvist A, Westman J, Köhler C, Wu J-Y (1985) Immunocytochemial localization of glutamic acid decarboxylase and substance P in the lateral cervical nucleus. A light and electron microscopic study in the cat. Neurosci Lett 56: 229–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Boivie J (1970) The termination of the cervicothalamic tract in the cat. An experimental study with silver impregnation methods. Brain Res 19: 333–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Boivie J (1971) The termination of the spinothalamic tract in the cat. An experimental study with silver impregnation methods. Exp Brain Res 12: 331–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Brodal A, Rexed B (1953) Spinal afferents to the NCL in cat. An experimental study. J Comp Neurol 98: 179–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Bromberg MB, Burnham JA, Towe AL (1981) Doubly projecting neurons of the dorsal column nuclei. Neurosci Lett 25: 215–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Carstens E, Trevino DL (1978) Laminar origins of spinothalamic projections in the cat as determined by the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. J Comp Neurol 182: 151–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig Jr AD, Burton H (1979) The lateral cervical nucleus in the cat: anatomic organization of cervicothalamic neurons. J Comp Neurol 185: 329–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig Jr AD, Tapper DN (1978) Lateral cervical nucleus in the cat: functional organization and characteristics. J Neurophysiol 41: 1511–1534

    Google Scholar 

  • Flink R, Wiberg M, Blomqvist A (1983) The termination in the mesencephalon of fibres from the lateral cervical nucleus. An anatomical study in the cat. Brain Res 259: 11–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant G, Boivie J, Brodal A (1968) The question of a cerebellar projection from the lateral cervical nucleus re-examined. Brain Res 9: 95–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes NL, Rustioni A (1979) Dual projections of single neurons are visualized simultaneously: use of enzymatically inactive [3H] HRP. Brain Res 165: 321–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Keizer K, Kuypers HGJM (1984) Distribution of corticospinal neurons with collaterals to lower brain stem reticular formation in cat. Exp Brain Res 54: 107–120

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuypers HGJM, Huisman AM (1984) Fluorescent neuronal tracers. In: Federoff S (ed) Labeling methods applicable to the study of neuronal pathways. Advances in cellular neurobiology, Vol 5. Academic Press, New York, pp 307–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Königsmark BW (1970) Methods for the counting of neurons. In: Nauta WJH, Ebbesson SOE (eds) Contemporary research methods in neuroanatomy. Springer, New York, pp 315–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Molinari HH (1984) Ascending somatosensory projections to the dorsal accessory olive: an anatomical study in cats. J Comp Neurol 223: 110–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Piercey MF, Schroder LA, Fochers K, Xu JC, Horig J (1981) Sensory and motor functions of spinal cord substance P. Science 214: 1361–1363

    Google Scholar 

  • Snider RS, Niemer WT (1961) A stereotaxic atlas of the cat brain. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago Ill

    Google Scholar 

  • Svensson BA, Rastad J, Westman J, Wiberg M (1985a) Somatotopic termination of spinal afferents to the feline lateral cervical nucleus. Exp Brain Res 57: 576–584

    Google Scholar 

  • Svensson BA, Westman J, Rastad J (1985b) Light and electron microscopic study of neurones in the feline lateral cervical nucleus with a descending projection. Brain Res 361: 114–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Willard FH, Martin GF (1984) Collateral innervation of the inferior colliculus in the North American opossum: a study using fluorescent markers in a double-labeling paradigm. Brain Res 303: 171–182

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Box 571, S-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden

    R. Flink & B. A. Svensson

Authors
  1. R. Flink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. A. Svensson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Flink, R., Svensson, B.A. Fluorescent double-labelling study of ascending and descending neurones in the feline lateral cervical nucleus. Exp Brain Res 62, 479–485 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236026

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236026

Key words

  • Cat
  • Double labelling
  • Fluorescent tracing
  • Lateral cervical nucleus
  • Ascending and descending neurones