Arrangement of neurons in the medullary reticular formation and raphe nuclei projecting to thoracic, lumbar and sacral segments of the spinal cord in the cat

Abstract

The distribution of neurons in the medullary reticular formation and raphe nuclei projecting to thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal segments was studied, using the technique of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), alone or in combination with nuclear yellow (NY). Retrogradely labeled cells were observed in the lateral tegmental field (FTL), paramedian reticular nucleus, magnocellular reticular nucleus (Mc), in the gigantocellular nucleus (Gc), lateral reticular nucleus (LR), lateral paragigantocellular nucleus (PGL), rostral ventrolateral medullary reticular formation (RVR), as well as in the medullary raphe nuclei following the injection of the tracer substance(s) into various levels of the spinal cord. The FTL, the ventral portion of the paramedian reticular nucleus (PRv), Mc, LR, PGL and the raphe nuclei were found to project to thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal segments. This projection was bilateral; the contralaterally projecting fibers crossed the midline at or near their termination site. The dorsal portion of the paramedian reticular nucleus (PRd), Gc and the RVR projected mainly to thoracic segments. This projection was unilateral. Experiments in which the HRP-injection was combined with lesion of the spinal cord showed that some descending raphe-spinal axons coursed presumably alongside the central canal. Experiments with two tracer substances suggested that some reticulo- and raphe-spinal neurons had axon collaterals terminating both in thoracic and sacral spinal segments.