Organization of trigeminothalamic tracts and other thalamic afferent systems of the brainstem in the rat: presence of gelatinosa neurons with thalamic connections

Abstract

Thalamic projections from trigeminal and certain other nuclei of the brainstem of the rat have been investigated using the technique of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The pattern of trigeminothalamic projections is very specifically related to the individual subnuclei of the complex. The Main Sensory Nucleus (MSN) provides profuse cross connections to the ventrobasal thalamus (VB); these arise exclusively from medium and small-sized neurons, but never from the large cells. In addition to these crossed connections, a small ipsilateral dorsal trigeminothalamic tract arises from the dorsal third of the most rostral part of the MSN; this is the only ipsilateral connection to VB found in the trigeminal complex. Subnucleus Oralis has no projections to the thalamus; it is suggested that it may be concerned primarily with reflex activation of the facial nucleus, with which it is co-extensive in the rostro-caudal axis. Subnucleus Interpolaris has a well-defined crossed projection of moderate size which arises from the large, medium and some of the small neurons. Subnucleus Caudalis has a sparse output to the thalamus and differs in its projections from rostral to caudal. At the most rostral level, all layers (marginal, transitional gelatinosa and magnocellularis) contain neurons which project to the thalamus; particularly conspicuous in this respect are the marginal neurons, most of which are strongly labelled. The presence of gelatinosa neurons projecting to the thalamus emphasizes a point made in earlier reports, that these neurons do not form an homogeneous population. At caudal levels, the marginal neurons are the major source of thalamic projections, while connections to the thalamus form deeper lying neurons are infrequent. With a single exception, the medullary reticular nuclei contained no neurons with thalamic connections; a small number of reticulo-thalamic neurons were found in the ventral pontine area. Marked labelling of the medial cuneate nucleus and moderate labelling of the gracilis and lateral cuneate nuclei occurred contralaterally to the injection site. A small numebr of medial cuneate and gracile neurons project to the ipsilateral thalamus. Projections from the solitary nucleus were always ipsialteral. The boundaries of individual subnuclei of the lateral sensory trigeminal complex in the rat have been redefined on the basis of cytological criteria; these are in good accord with the corresponding thalamic projection patterns.