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Cortical neurons projecting to the pontine nuclei in the cat. An experimental study with the horseradish peroxidase technique

Experimental Brain Research volume 35, pages 269–285 (1979)Cite this article

Summary

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injections in various portions of the cat pontine nuclei resulted in retrograde labeling of neurons in layer V of the ipsilateral cerebral cortex.

Corticopontine neurons, pyramidal in type, have been found to be labeled in the entire cortex, confirming the previous findings of anterograde degeneration studies. Most (91%) of the labeled cells were 14–26 μm in diameter (mean 19.4±4.5 μm SD). Small (10–20 μm) and medium (20–40 μm) cells represent 51.5% and 47.7%, respectively, of the total number of the labeled neurons. The populations of the neurons of various sizes were almost identical in different cortical areas, and were different from the populations of corticoreticular and corticospinal cells.

Corticopontine cells were well labeled in experimental cases of 3-days' survival time, confirming the topographical organization established previously by degeneration studies for this projection system. However, in cases of shorter survival time (20–27 h), the number of labeled neurons was very small.

The relative paucity of labeled Corticopontine neurons in the sigmoid and lateral gyri is discussed with reference to other cortical descending neurons (e.g., the corticotectal, corticoreticular and corticospinal) which have hitherto been identified morphologically as well as physiologically.

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Abbreviations

AL:

gyrus lateralis anterior

ASigm:

gyrus sigmoideus anterior

ASup:

gyrus suprasylvius anterior

Br.p.:

brachium pontis

Cor:

gyrus coronalis

L:

left

L.m.:

lemniscus medialis

MEct:

gyrus ectosylvius medius

MSup:

gyrus suprasylvius medius

N.dl.:

nucleus dorsolateralis

N.l.:

nucleus lateralis

N.m.:

nucleus medianus

N.p.:

nucleus peduncularis

N.pm.:

nucleus paramedianus

N.r.t.:

nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis

N.v.:

nucleus ventralis

Ped:

corticospinal and corticopontine fibers in cerebral peduncle

PSigm:

gyrus sigmoideus posterior

R:

right

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, 020, Morioka, Japan

    K. Kawamura M.D. & M. Chiba

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  1. K. Kawamura M.D.
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  2. M. Chiba
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Kawamura, K., Chiba, M. Cortical neurons projecting to the pontine nuclei in the cat. An experimental study with the horseradish peroxidase technique. Exp Brain Res 35, 269–285 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236615

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236615

Key words

  • Cerebral cortex
  • Pontine nuclei
  • Cat
  • Horseradish peroxidase method