Cholinergic and non-cholinergic projections from the upper brainstem core to the visual thalamus in the cat
- 1 March 1988
- journal article
- conference paper
- Published by Springer Nature in Experimental Brain Research
- Vol. 70 (1), 166-180
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00271858
Abstract
Summary The projections of cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons of the rostral brainstem reticular formation to the visual thalamic nuclei (dorsal lateral geniculate — LG, lateral posterior — LP, and perigeniculate — PG) were studied in cat by using the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase conjugated with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP) combined with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry. After thalamic injections, less than 10% of all retrogradely labeled neurons in the upper brainstem reticular core were located at most rostral (perirubral) levels where there are virtually no cholinergic elements. Approximately 75–80% of all HRP-positive neurons in the reticular formation were found between stereotaxic planes anterior 1 and posterior 2, in the peribrachial (PB) area of the pedunculopontine nucleus and in the laterodorsal tegmental (LDT) nucleus. The brainstem afferents to LG and PG thalamic nuclei essentially derive from PB neurons, with a small contribution from LDT cells, whereas the LP thalamic nucleus receives massive inputs from both PB and LDT brainstem nuclei. Of all HRP-positive elements visualized in the PB nucleus after an LG or a PG injection, 87% and 73%, respectively, were also ChAT-positive. Of all HRP-positive elements in the PB and LDT nuclei after an LP injection, 82% and 92%, respectively, were also ChAT-positive. The numbers of labeled neurons in the contralateral brainstem reticular nuclei reach 30% to 50% of the numbers found in the ipsilateral reticular formation. These findings reveal the existence of a prominent cholinergic projection from the brainstem reticular formation to the visual thalamic nuclei. Such a chemospecific projection is probably involved in phasic and tonic events of activated behavioral states.Keywords
This publication has 55 references indexed in Scilit:
- Basal forebrain cholinergic and noncholinergic projections to the thalamus and brainstem in cats and monkeysJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1988
- Cholinergic projections from the parabigeminal nucleus (Ch8) to the superior colliculus in the mouse: a combined analysis of horseradish peroxidase transport and choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistryBrain Research, 1986
- The efferent projections from the reticular formation and the locus coeruleus studied by anterograde and retrograde axonal transport in the ratJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1985
- Cholinergic projections from the midbrain and pons to the thalamus in the rat, identified by combined retrograde tracing and choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistryBrain Research, 1985
- Organization and morphological characteristics of choline acetyltransferase-containing fibers in the visual thalamus and striate cortex of the catNeuroscience Letters, 1985
- Stabilization of the tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) reaction product: application for retrograde and anterograde tracing, and combination with immunohistochemistry.Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 1984
- Firing rates and patterns of midbrain reticular neurons during steady and transitional states of the sleep-waking cycleExperimental Brain Research, 1982
- Use of avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) in immunoperoxidase techniques: a comparison between ABC and unlabeled antibody (PAP) procedures.Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 1981
- Autoradiographic evidence for a projection from the pretectal nucleus of the optic tract to the dorsal lateral geniculate complex in the catBrain Research, 1980
- Autoradiographic studies of the projections of the midbrain reticular formation: Ascending projections of nucleus cuneiformisJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1976