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A preganglionic autonomic nucleus in the dorsal gray commissure of the lumbar spinal cord of the rat
Author(s) -
Hancock Michael B.,
Peveto Cynthia A.
Publication year - 1979
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.901830106
Subject(s) - spinal cord , commissure , anatomy , biology , horseradish peroxidase , posterior commissure , lumbar , anterior commissure , nucleus , central nervous system , neuroscience , biochemistry , enzyme
The distribution in the spinal cord of the rat of preganglionic neurons sending fibers into the hypogastric nerve was determined with the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Labeled cells were present in the intermediate gray matter of spinal segments L 1 ‐L 2 . The majority (81%) of HRP‐filled cells formed a continuous column along the midline in the dorsal gray commissure. This cell column was termed the dorsal commissural nucleus (DCN). The remainder of HRP‐labeled cells were present bilaterally in the middle and lateral regions of the intermediate gray; the majority of the latter cells were located along the lateral border of the intermediate gray. The present finding of a midline preganglionic autonomic cell column in the spinal cord of a mammal is contrary to previous reports, in which sympathetic preganglionic neurons have been localized primarily in the lateral intermediate gray. The DCN may be species‐specific and related to the system of short adrenergic neurons present in the pelvis.