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Origin and fine structure of substance P-containing nerve terminals in the facial nucleus of the rat: an immunohistochemical study

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Summary

The distribution, origin and fine structure of substance P-like immunoreactive (SPI) nerve terminals in the facial nucleus of the rat were investigated by means of immunocytochemistry. SPI-terminals were concentrated in the intermediate and dorsal subnuclei of the facial nucleus. Hemi-transection of the brainstem just rostral to the facial nucleus or at the most caudal level of the medulla oblongata did not cause any change of SPI-terminals in the facial nucleus. Electrical destruction of the various parts of the medulla oblongata clearly demonstrated that SPI-terminals in the intermediate subnucleus were supplied contralaterally from the SPI-neurons in the dorsomedial part of the medullary reticular formation. Most of the SPI-terminals (85%) in the intermediate subnucleus of the facial nucleus were observed to make asymmetric synaptic contacts with large dendrites (mean diameter; 1.26 μm). It was supposed that the contact sites are located on proximal parts of the dendrite. A few SPI-terminals (6%) formed axo-somatic contacts with large perikarya filled with numerous cytoplasmic organelles.

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Abbreviations

A:

n. ambiguus

AP:

area postrema

C:

n. cuneatus

Cod:

n. cochlearis dorsalis

Cov:

n. cochlearis ventralis

CU:

n. cuneiformis

FLM:

fasciculus longitudinalis medialis

G:

n. gracilis

MRF:

midbrain reticular formation

nts:

n. tractus solitarius

nVsp:

n. tractus spinalis nervi trigemini

nVII:

n. originis nervi facialis

nX:

n. originis dorsalis vagi

nXII:

n. originis nervi hypoglossi

OI:

n. olivaris inferior

rfl:

the ventro-lateral part of the caudal medullary reticular formation

rfm:

the dorso-medial part of the medullary reticular formation

RL:

n. reticularis lateralis

RM:

n. raphe magnus

rmg:

n. reticularis magnocellularis

RO:

n. raphe obscurus

sgc:

substantia grisea centralis

Vl:

n. vestibularis lateralis

Vm:

n. vestibularis medialis

Vsp:

n. vestibularis spinalis

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity, Osaka University Medical School, 4-3-57 Nakanoshima, Kitaku, 530, Osaka, Japan

    E. Senba & M. Tohyama

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  1. E. Senba
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  2. M. Tohyama
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Senba, E., Tohyama, M. Origin and fine structure of substance P-containing nerve terminals in the facial nucleus of the rat: an immunohistochemical study. Exp Brain Res 57, 537–546 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237840

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237840

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