Light and electron microscopic studies on the medial forebrain bundle in the rat. ii. nerve terminals from the medial hypothalamus.
After the surgical interruption of connections between the medial and lateral hypothalamus of the rat axonal (transient) and nerve terminal degeneration was shown in the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) with light and electron microscopy. Following 1 mm long parasagittal cuts at various rostro-caudal levels the degeneration pattern within the MFB indicated a certain territoral arrangement of terminating fibres from the medial hypothalamus. After a parasagittal cut through the lateral retrochiasmatic area, degeneration was observed in the full length of the MFB. This suggests that a number of axons connect the medial and lateral hypothalamus through this area. With the aid of a parasagittal cut separating totally the medial and lateral hypothalamus, the degeneration of dendrites in the middle portion of the lateral hypothalamus was also revealed. These proved to derive from cells of the ventromedial nucleus.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology*; D007033:Hypothalamus, Middle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats