An analysis of histaminergic efferents of the tuberomammillary nucleus to the medial preoptic area and inferior colliculus of the rat.

The efferent projections of the five histaminergic neuronal subgroups in the tuberomammillary nucleus to the medial preoptic area (MPO) and inferior colliculus (IC) were examined by immunocytochemistry with antihistidine decarboxylase (HDC) antibodies combined with retrograde axonal tracing with Fast Blue (FB). The term "E groups" were used for the histaminergic neuronal subgroups. About 10% of the HDC-immunoreactive (HDCI) neurons were retrogradely labeled after FB injection into the MPO. The labeled neurons were not concentrated in any particular area, but were diffusely distributed bilaterally in all the subgroups. About two-thirds of the labeled neurons were observed on the side ipsilateral to the injection site and one-third on the contralateral side. The percentages of labeled neurons (double-labeled neurons/HDCI neurons) in the five subgroups were not significantly different with each other. The percentages in group E1 and E2 were particularly close, while that in group E4 resembled that in group E5. About 4% of the HDCI neurons were retrogradely labeled after the dye injections into the IC, and about half of the labeled neurons were detected on the ipsilateral side. The percentage of the double-labeled neurons in the five groups were not significantly different. Furthermore, those in E1 and E2, and in E4 and E5 were almost identical, respectively, to the situation following injection of FB into the MPO. These results indicate that each subgroup of histaminergic neurons in the tuberomammillary nucleus has similar efferent projections to the MPO and IC.