A Light Microscopic HRP-Degeneration Study of Corticospinal Input to the Spinal Respiratory Centers
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Authors
Weiner, Mark
Issue Date
1984
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Although detailed analysis of the involuntary
respiratory system has been done, not much work has been
done on the morphology of the voluntary respiratory system.
This study was carried out to determine if there is
corticospinal input to the spinal respiratory center
(phrenic nucleus) of the rat. The phrenic nucleus was
labeled by retrograde transportation of horseradish
peroxidase (HRP) after transecting the nerve in the neck or
injecting a conjugated cholera toxin-HRP into the diaphragm.
The corticospinal tract was labeled by cortical ablation of
the areas of the cortex known to contain corticospinal
neurons followed by a Fink-Heimer staining technique which
labeled anterograde degenerated neurons. The results at
light microscopic levels indicate that there was no direct
corticospinal input into the phrenic motorneurons. However,
possible corticospinal degeneration patterns were seen in
the contralateral and ipsilateral dorsolateral funiculi
(DLF). In addition, distal dendrites of the phrenic nucleus
show movement towards the DLF but none were seen actually
entering into the DLF. These results indicate the need for
a better labeling method for distal dendrites of the phrenic
nucleus and a more detailed electron microscopic analysis to
determine the exact nature of the degeneration patterns
seen.
Description
vi, 38 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.