Midbrain tegmentum as an intermediate relay station of the periaqueductal-facial pathway in the cat

Abstract

Iontophoretic injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the medial part of the facial nucleus resulted in retrograde labeling in the lateral midbrain tegmentum contralaterally which corresponded to the paralemniscal zone (PL). Further experiments in which HRP was injected iontophoretically into the PL revealed heavy retrograde labeling in the lateral portion of the ipsilateral periaqueductal gray (PAG). These light microscopic studies indicated the possibility of the pathway from the PAG to the facial nucleus via the midbrain PL. The electron microscopic observations were carried out on the lateral midbrain tegmentum containing the PL after kainic acid, and wheat germ agglutinin conjugated HRP injections were made into the PAG and the contralateral facial nucleus in the same animal, respectively. Although in the neuropil many degenerating PAG fibers and retrogradely labeled neurons were observed, it was of particular interest that the degenerating fibers made synaptic contacts with HRP-labeled somata and dendrites.