Abstract
The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT) projects its cholinergic fibers to both the lateralis medialis-suprageniculate nucleus (LM-Sg) and the superior colliculus (SC). For the purpose of verification of whether a single neuron in the PPT projects to both the LM-Sg and the SC, we injected dextran tetramethylrhodamine (DR) into the LM-Sg and dextran fluorescein (DF) into the ipsilateral SC. The DR-positive neurons labeled retrogradely in the PPT are small (mean: 27.13+/-1.22 micro m) and distributed in the rostral two-thirds of this nucleus, whereas the DF-positive neurons are small (mean: 27.54+/-1.16 micro m) or medium-sized (mean: 40.18+/-1.43 micro m), and are located throughout the PPT. Thirty-five percent of all labeled neurons are double-labeled and small. The present study indicates that the PPT projection to the LM-Sg in part involves neurons bifurcating to the SC.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Acetylcholine / metabolism
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Animals
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Axons / physiology
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Axons / ultrastructure
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Cats
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Cell Size / physiology
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Cholinergic Fibers / metabolism
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Cholinergic Fibers / ultrastructure
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Dextrans
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Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / analogs & derivatives*
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Neural Pathways / anatomy & histology*
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Neural Pathways / physiology
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Neurons / classification
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Neurons / cytology*
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Neurons / physiology
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Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus / anatomy & histology*
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Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus / physiology
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Posterior Thalamic Nuclei / anatomy & histology*
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Posterior Thalamic Nuclei / physiology
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Psychomotor Performance / physiology
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Rhodamines
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Superior Colliculi / anatomy & histology*
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Superior Colliculi / physiology
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Visual Pathways / anatomy & histology
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Visual Pathways / physiology
Substances
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Dextrans
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Fluoro-Ruby
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Rhodamines
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fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran
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Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate
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Acetylcholine