Projection of brain stem neurons to the perigeniculate nucleus and the lateral geniculate nucleus in the cat

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(82)90119-6

Brain Research

Volume 238, Issue 2, 29 April 1982, Pages 433-438

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(82)90119-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

Small horseradish peroxidase injections in the perigeniculate nucleus (PGN) or the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) gave retrograde labeling of many cells in the pontomesencephalic reticular formation (RF), the nuclei raphe dorsalis and centralis linearis, locus coeruleus, nucleus of the optic tract and nucleus parabigeminalis. Antidromic stimulation was used to identify neurons in the RF projecting to the PGN-LGN complex. Threshold mapping through the PGN and the LGN shows separate projection from the reticular formation to the PGN and the LGN.

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Cited by (54)

Towards building a more complex view of the lateral geniculate nucleus: Recent advances in understanding its role
2017, Progress in Neurobiology
The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) has often been treated in the past as a linear filter that adds little to retinal processing of visual inputs. Here we review anatomical, neurophysiological, brain imaging, and modeling studies that have in recent years built up a much more complex view of LGN. These include effects related to nonlinear dendritic processing, cortical feedback, synchrony and oscillations across LGN populations, as well as involvement of LGN in higher level cognitive processing. Although recent studies have provided valuable insights into early visual processing including the role of LGN, a unified model of LGN responses to real-world objects has not yet been developed. In the light of recent data, we suggest that the role of LGN deserves more careful consideration in developing models of high-level visual processing.
Cortical modulation of neuronal activity in the cat's lateral geniculate and perigeniculate nuclei
2005, Experimental Neurology
The cortico-thalamic influence on spontaneous and visually evoked activity of single cells in the dorsal lateral geniculate (LGN) and perigeniculate (PGN) nuclei were examined in unanesthetized cats with pretrigeminal brainstem transections by means of reversible cooling of cortical areas 17 and 18. The spatio-temporal characteristic of cells' RFs was tested with light spot randomly presented at different points along the receptive field axis. The cessation of cortical input decreased spontaneous activity of most of the LGN cells (64%; as compared to 36% with increased background firing). Similarly, their visually evoked responses were reduced (70% cells; compared to 24% with increased response) and extent of central excitatory domains diminished. In contrast, the majority of PGN neurons increased their spontaneous activity (62%; compared to 38% with decreased firing rate). Cortical cooling resulted also in a decrease of the ON and OFF central responses of most PGN cells (55%; as compared to 20% with increased responses). The described effects were more pronounced within the population of cells in X than in Y pathway. Although the removal of descending cortical excitation disturbed the balance of activity within the network of thalamic cells the gain of the geniculate relay was preserved. We conclude that the main role exerted by the cortico-thalamic pathway serves facilitation of the ascending retino-cortical flow of visual information at the level of lateral geniculate nucleus.
Acetylcholine releases of mesopontine PGO-on cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus in sleep-waking cycle and serotonergic regulation
1996, Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
- 1.
  1. Five adult cats were prepared with standard sleep-recording electrodes, microinjection cannulae in the bilateral mesopontine tegmentum X area and cannulae for microdialysis probes in the LGN.
- 2.
  2. Dialysates were collected at 5 min intervals during SWS, REM sleep and wakefulness, and during pre- and post-stimulation periods of 5MeODMT microinjection in the bilateral mesopontine tegmentum of freely moving cats.
- 3.
  3. A REM sleep-specific increase of ACh release was observed in the LGN, but not out of the LGN.
- 4.
  4. ACh release was depressed up to 33% by bilateral SMeODMT microinjection in the mesopontine tegmentum where the microinjection of carbachol also depressed ACh in the LGN probably by stimulating the auto receptor.
- 5.
  5. Our observations indicate that PGO-on neurons of mesopontine tegmentum release more ACh in the LGN during REM sleep by burst discharge than during wakefulness and SWS, and that presumptive cholinergic PGO-on cells are regulated by serotonergic inputs.
The pontomesencephalic tegmentum delays the peak latency of the visual evoked potential in rats
1995, Neuroscience Letters
In previous experiments it was found that physostigmine application in unrestrained rats delayed the peak latency of the visual evoked potential (VEP). The present study was carried out to find the putative site that cholinergically mediates the latency delay of rat's VEP. After unilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) and the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), respectively, the VEPs of freely moving rats were recorded in different behavioural states. While NBM lesion did not alter the behavioural modulation of the VEP latency, the PPTg lesion produced shorter VEP latencies in the occipital cortex of the lesioned hemisphere in high and moderate arousal states. The peak latency shortening was significant for exploratory sniffing. Physostigmine but not nicotine application abolished the shorter VEP latency. The results indicate a muscarinic mechanism within the pontomesencephalic tegmentum that ipsilaterally delayed the VEP latency in high and moderate but not in low arousal states.
Physiological properties of the output neurons in the deep layers of the superior colliculus of the rabbit
1995, Brain Research Bulletin
Using antidromic and orthodromic stimulation techniques, we studied physiological properties of the output neurons in the deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC) of 34 New Zealand rabbits. SC cells antidromicaly activated from the contralateral predorsal bundle (PDB) could also be activated by stimulation of the contralateral SC and ipsilateral central lateral nucleus of the thalamus (CL). The majority of these output neurons responded predominantly to the stimulation of the optic nerve, and only a small proportion of the output neurons were responsive to the stimulation of somatosensory and auditory (and/or vestibular) nerves. These results suggest that the orienting reflex might be elicited mainly by visual afferents in the rabbit The output SC neurons were subject to a 70 ms inhibition after antidromic stimulation of the PDB and a 40 ms inhibition after transsynaptic (orthodromic) stimulation of the optic chiasm (OX), indicating that the output neurons in the deep layers of the SC might be subject to at least two inhibitory circuits. These results are discussed in the context of a putative saccadic suppression circuitry model.
Extent of bilateral collateralization among pontomesencephalic tegmental afferents to dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei of pigmented and albino rats
1994, Neuroscience
In adult pigmented and albino rats, small amounts of different fluorescent dyes (Fast Blue and Fluoro-Gold) were pressure-injected into the dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei, each nucleus (right or left) being injected with one dye only. After postinjection survival of three days, the distribution of neurons retrogradely labelled by each dye was analysed.
Consistent with previous studies, in each strain each dye labelled a large number of neurons in the several ipsilateral visuotopically or retinotopically organized structures—visual cortices, retinorecipient layers of the superior colliculi and the pretectal nuclei. A substantial number of retrogradely labelled neurons was also found in the contralateral parabigeminal nucleus. A few retrogradely labelled neurons were found in the ipsilateral and (to a lesser extent) contralateral dorsolateral divisions of the periaqueductal gray matter, as well as in the ipsilateral parabigeminal nucleus and the caudal part of the lateral hypothalamus. However, in all the above structures there was a paucity of cells retrogradely labelled with both dyes (double-labelled cells).
By contrast, in each strain, several “modulatory” nuclei (containing cholinergic and aminergic cells) of the pontomesencephalic tegmentum—dorsal raphe, pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, parabrachial nucleus, laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and locus coeruleus—contained significant numbers of cells projecting to both ipsilateral and contralateral dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei. In each nucleus, ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting cells constituted, respectively, about 65–70% and about 30–35% of retrogradely labelled cells. About 25% of the contralaterally projecting cells (i.e. about 5–10% of all retrogradely labelled tegmental neurons) were double-labelled with both dyes. Double-labelled cells were intermingled with single-labelled cells projecting ipsilaterally or contralaterally. The proportions of the ipsilaterally, contralaterally and bilaterally projecting neurons in the modulatory components of the pontomesencephalic tegmentum were virtually identical in pigmented and albino strains.
It appears that in both strains the visuotopically organized structures convey to the dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei information related mainly to the contralateral visual field. The projections from these structures might play an important role in regulating transmission of visual information in the retinotopically distinct parts of each dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. By contrast, the projections from the modulatory nuclei of the pontomesencephalic tegmentum are likely to contribute to the functional synchronization of both dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei during the sleep-wakefulness cycle and saccadic eye movements.

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^☆: This work was supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council (Project 04767).

^∗: Present address: Shanghai Brain Research Institute, 319 Yo-Yang Road, Shanghai, China.

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Short communicationProjection of brain stem neurons to the perigeniculate nucleus and the lateral geniculate nucleus in the cat☆

Abstract

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Exp. Neurol.

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Short communication
Projection of brain stem neurons to the perigeniculate nucleus and the lateral geniculate nucleus in the cat☆