Implementation of rapid prototyping to produce a 3‐dimensional physical model of the anatomical distribution of functionally identified cat pre‐Bötzinger complex microinjection sites (714.4)

Abstract

Previous work from our laboratory has used histological analyses to confirm functionally identified sites in the cat pre‐Botzinger complex (pre‐BotC). These sites have been represented in a 2‐D fashion based on our histological sections in conjunction with plates from Berman's stereotactic atlas (1968). To gain further insight into the anatomical distribution of these sites, we have used rapid prototyping technology to generate a 3‐D physical model representing the relevant regions/nuclei of the cat brainstem (based on Berman’s atlas) and the histological/stereotaxic coordinates associated with our microinjection sites. To accomplish this, plates from Berman’s atlas were scanned and compiled into a 3‐D configuration slide box, the stereotaxic coordinates of 348 pre‐BötC microinjection sites were entered into an x/y/z matrix based on histologically confirmed coordinates with the origin (0, 0, 0) referenced to the caudal pole of the retrofacial nucleus, midline, and dorsal surface of the medulla, and a 3‐D digital representation was generated and printed. We believe that this approach compliments both the 2‐D representations (previously used) and the digital 3‐D representation, and provides additional insight into the anatomical specificity of our functionally identified and histologically confirmed microinjection sites.Grant Funding Source: Supported by HL 63175