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Jaw‐muscle spindle afferent pathways to the trigeminal motor nucleus in the rat
Author(s) -
Luo Pifu,
Moritani Masayuki,
Dessem Dean
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.1034
Subject(s) - muscle spindle , anatomy , spinal trigeminal nucleus , biology , horseradish peroxidase , reticular formation , neuroscience , trigeminal ganglion , trigeminal nerve , axoplasmic transport , axon , nucleus , sensory system , afferent , nociception , biochemistry , receptor , enzyme
Abstract Neural pathways conveying proprioceptive feedback from the jaw muscles were studied in rats by combining retrograde and intracellular neuronal labeling. Initially, horseradish peroxidase was iontophoresed unilaterally into the trigeminal motor nucleus (Vmo). Two days later, 1–5 jaw‐muscle spindle afferent axons located in the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus were physiologically identified and intracellularly stained with biotinamide. Stained mesencephalic trigeminal jaw‐muscle spindle afferent axon collaterals and boutons were predominantly distributed in the supratrigeminal region (Vsup), Vmo, dorsomedial trigeminal principal sensory nucleus (Vpdm), parvicellular reticular formation (PCRt), alpha division of the parvicellular reticular formation (PCRtA), and dorsomedial portions of the spinal trigeminal subnuclei oralis (Vodm), and interpolaris (Vidm). Numerous neurons retrogradely labeled with horseradish peroxidase from the trigeminal motor nucleus were found bilaterally in the PCRt, PCRtA, Vodm, and Vidm. Retrogradely labeled neurons were also present contralaterally in the Vsup, Vpdm, Vmo, peritrigeminal zone, and bilaterally in the dorsal medullary reticular field. Putative contacts between intracellularly stained mesencephalic trigeminal jaw‐muscle spindle afferent boutons and trigeminal premotor neurons retrogradely labeled with horseradish peroxidase were found in the ipsilateral Vodm, PCRtA, and PCRt, as well as the contralateral Vsup, Vmo, Vodm, PCRt, and PCRtA. Thus, multiple disynaptic jaw‐muscle spindle afferent‐motoneuron circuits exist. These pathways are likely to convey long‐latency jaw‐muscle stretch reflexes and may contribute to stiffness regulation of the masticatory muscles. J. Comp. Neurol. 435:341–353, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.