Anatomical substrate for separate processing of ascending and descending visceral information in the nucleus of the solitary tract of the rat.
We examined the possible existence of divergent visceral pathways arising from the nucleus of the solitary tract, by co-injecting axonal tracers into the parabrachial nucleus and into the ventrolateral medulla. We found that around 5% of NTS neurons projected to both sites, and that neurons projecting to VLM were larger. This parallel organization allows a differential control of the ascending versus descending visceral pathways at an early stage of processing.
Acuña-Goycolea
C
C
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago, Chile.
Fuentealba
P
P
Torrealba
F
F
D000818:Animals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D017833:Visceral Afferents / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes