Distribution of the efferent projections of the rat posterior thalamic nucleus as revealed by Phaseolus vulgaris immunohistochemistry.
Following iontophoretic injection of Phaseolus vulgaris in the rat posterior thalamic nucleus (PT) dense terminal fields were labeled in the ipsilateral red nucleus, zona incerta, intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus, pretectum, basilar pontine gray, and dorsal pole of the caudal division of the ventral lateral thalamic nucleus. Several other structures were more sparsely labeled; the reticular gigantocellular and pontine oral nuclei, nucleus of the mesencephalic tract of the trigeminal nerve, deep mesencephalic and posterior hypothalamic nuclei and the rostral part of the lateral posterior thalamic nucleus. The motor and, to a lesser extent, somatosensory cortices were labeled only following tracer injection in the rostral PT. The posterior thalamic nucleus thus projects to several centers primarily treating somatosensory and/or nociceptive messages, and to precerebellar and motor nuclei. Since a previous study has established that the PT also receives a major somatosensory and/or nociceptive input (Roger and Cadusseau, 1984), a non-specific, modulatory role of the PT is therefore proposed in the treatment of some aspects of somatosensory and/or nociceptive information.
Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie, CNRS: URA 290 Faculté des Sciences, Poitiers, France.
J
J
Cadusseau
M
M
Roger
D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; C100156:leukoagglutinins, plants