title: Nigrothalamostriatal and nigrothalamocortical pathways via the ventrolateral parafascicular nucleus.
abstract: The present tract-tracing study in the rat indicated that neurons in the ventrolateral part of the parafascicular thalamic nucleus (PF), where nigral fibers from the dorsolateral part of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) terminated, sent their axons to the ventrolateral part of the striatum as well as to the rostrolateral part of the lateral agranular cortex (AGl). We further demonstrated that symmetrical synaptic contacts were made between these nigral axons and striatum- or AGl-projecting PF neurons. Since the dorsolateral part of the SNr, ventrolateral part of the striatum and rostrolateral part of the AGl are responsible regions for orofacial behaviors, the nigrothalamostriatal and nigrothalamo-cortical pathways via the ventrolateral part of the PF may play a role in the control of orofacial motor function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy (2nd Division), Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsumori
authors.forename: Shigefumi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Yukihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasui
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D001710:Biotin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003911:Dextrans / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005145:Face / Q000294:innervation; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007267:Injections; D020646:Intralaminar Thalamic Nuclei / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000294:innervation; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate; C076397:biotinylated dextran amine; D001710:Biotin; D002772:Cholera Toxin