Summary
Muscular and cutaneous afferents from distal forelimb distributed to the cuneate and external cuneate nuclei have been demonstrated in cat with the method of transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase. Injections of the same tracer were also done in ganglia C7 to T6 to demonstrate the afferents to these two nuclei. It is concluded that only muscle afferents terminate in the external cuneate nucleus. Afferents from paw and forearm occupy sequential territories in the medial part of the nucleus, which are only partly exclusive. Afferents from individual flexor muscles of forearm occupy distinct sites but their distributions overlap with those of forearm extensor muscles. In the external cuneate nucleus, the, distributions of afferents from individual muscles constitute integral parts of a segmental representation. In the cuneate nucleus, cutaneous afferents are located dorsally and terminate over cells of the “clusters”. Muscle afferents are distributed in ventral regions and are topographically arranged. They terminate over “reticular” regions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrahams VC, Richmond FJ, Keane J (1984) Projections from C2 and C3 nerves supplying muscles and skin of the cat neck: A study using transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase. J Comp Neurol 230:142–154
Amman B, Gottschall J, Zenker W (1983) Afferent projections from the rat longus capitis muscle studied by transganglionic transport of HRP. Anat Embryol 166:275–289
Arvidsson J, Thomander L (1984) An HRP study of the central course of sensory intermediate and vagal fibers in peripheral facial nerve branches, in the cat. J Comp Neurol 223:35–45
Bakker DA (1983) Axon content and central afferent projections of nerves supplying suboccipital muscles in the cat. Ph D Thesis. Queen's University Kingston Canada
Bakker DA, Richmond FJR, Abrahams VC (1984a) Central projections from cat, suboccipital muscles: A study using transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase. J Comp Neurol 228:409–421
Bakker DA, Richmond FJR, Courville J (1984b) Primary afferent projections to the external cuneate nucleus: an anatomical study in the cat using transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase. American Association of Anatomists, 97th annual session. Anat Rec 208:13A
Basbaum AI, Hand PJ (1973) Projections of cervicothoracic dorsal roots to the cuneate, nucleus of the rat, with observations on cellular “bricks”. J Comp Neurol 148:347–360
Brodal A (1941) Die Verbindungen des Nucleus cuneatus externus mit dem Kleinhirn beim Kaninchen und bei der Katze. Ztschr ges Neurol Psychiat 171:167–199
Brodal A (1954) Afferent cerebellar connections. In: Jansen J, Brodal A. Aspects of cerebellar anatomy, Grundt Tanum Oslo pp 82–188
Cajal SR (1909) Histologie du système nerveux de l'homme et des vertébrés. Maloine Paris, vol. I.
Campbell SK, Parker TD, Welker W (1974) Somatotopic organization of the external cuneate nucleus in albino rats. Brain Res 77:1–23
Corbin KB, Hinsey JC (1935) Intramedullary course of the dorsal root fibers of each of the first four cervical nerves. J Comp Neurol 63: 119–126
Crouch JE, Lackey MB (1969) Text-atlas of cat anatomy. Lea and Febigen Philadelphia
Dykes RW, Rasmusson DD, Sretavan D, Rehman R (1982) Submodality segregation and receptive-field sequence in cuneate, gracilis and external cuneate nuclei of the cat. J Neurophysiol 47:389–416
Escolar J (1948) The afferent connections of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd cervical nerves in the cat. J Comp Neurol 89:79–92
Ferraro A, Barrera SE (1935) Posterior column fibers and their termination in macacus rhesus. Arch Neurol Psychiat 33:263–275
Hand PJ (1966) Lumbosacral dorsal root terminations in the nucleus gracilis in the cat. Some observations on terminal degeneration in other medullary sensory nuclei. J Comp Neurol 126:137–156
Johnson JI Jr, Welker WI, Pubols BH Jr (1968) Somatotopic organization of raccoon dorsal column nuclei. J Comp Neurol 132:1–44
Kruger L, Siminoff E, Witkovsky P (1961) Single neuron analysis of dorsal column nuclei and spinal nucleus of trigeminal in cat. J Neurophysiol 24:333–349
Kuypers HGJM, Tuerk JD (1964) The distribution of the cortical fibres within the nuclei cuneatus and gracilis in the cat. J Anat (Lond) 98:143–162
Liu CN (1956) Afferent nerves to Clarke's and the lateral cuneate nuclei in the cat. Arch Neurol Psychiat 75:67–77
Mesulam MM (1982) Tracing neural connections with horseradish peroxidase. John Wiley & Sons New York
Millar J, Basbaum AI (1975) Topography of the projection of the body surface, of the cat to cuneate and gracilis nuclei. Exp Neurol 49:281–290
Nyberg G (1983) The representation of cat forelimb digits in the main cuneate nucleus as demonstrated by the transganglionic transport method. Neurosci Lett (Suppl) 14:265
Nyberg G, Blomqvist A (1982) The termination of forelimb nerves in the feline cuneate nucleus demonstrated by the transganglionic transport method. Brain Res 248:209–222
Pfister J, Zenker W (1984) The splenius capitis muscle of the rat, architecture and histochemistry, afferent and efferent innervation as compared with that of the quadriceps muscle. Anat Embryol 169:79–89
Reighard J, Jennings HS (1935) Anatomy, of the cat. Henry Holt and Co New York
Rosen I (1969a) Localization in caudal brain stem and cervical spinal cord of neurones activated from forelimb group I afferents in the cat. Brain Res 16:55–71
Rosen I (1969b) Afferent connexions to group I activated cells in the main cuneate nucleus of the cat. J Physiol (Lond) 205:209–236
Rustioni A, Macchi G (1968) Distribution of dorsal root fibers in the medulla oblongata of the cat. J Comp Neurol 134:113–126
Scheurer S, Gottschall J, Groh V (1983) Afferent projections of the rat major occipital nerve studied by transganglionic transport of HRP. Anat Embryol 167:425–438
Shriver JE, Stein BM, Carpenter MB (1968) Central projections of spinal dorsal roots in the monkey. I. Cervical and upper thoracic dorsal roots. Am J Anat 123:27–74
Siegborn J, Grant G (1983), Brainstem, projections of different branches of the vestibular nerve, an experimental study by transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase in the cat. I. The horizontal ampullar and utricular nerves. Arch Ital Biol 121:237–248
Swett JE, Woolf CJ (1983) Cutaneous innervation of the hind leg of the rat and its somatotopic organization in laminae I and II of the lumbar spinal cord. Society for Neuroscience 13th annual meeting. Abstr 140:11
Taber E (1961) The cytoarchitecture of the brain stem of the cat. I. Brain stem nuclei of cat. J Comp Neurol 116:27–69
Walker AE, Weaver TA Jr (1942) The topical organization and termination of the fibers of the posterior columns in Macaca mulatta. J Comp Neurol 76:145–158
Yee J, Corbin KB (1939) The intramedullary course of the upper five, cervical, dorsal root fibers in the rabbit. J Comp Neurol 70:297–304
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jasmin, L., Courville, J. & Bakker, D.A. Afferent projections from forelimb muscles to the external and main cuneate nuclei in the cat. Anat Embryol 171, 275–284 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347016
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347016