Cholinergic and non-cholinergic projections from the canine pontomesencephalic tegmentum (Ch5 area) to the caudal intralaminar thalamic nuclei.

The distribution and morphology of cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons projecting to the caudal intralaminar thalamic nuclei from the Ch5 area in the dog were examined using a technique combining horseradish peroxidase (HRP) retrograde labeling with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunocytochemistry. After processing for ChAT, cholinergic neurons were found primarily within the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus (PPN) and the central tegmental tract (ctt). ChAT positive neurons were also located in the nucleus cuneiformis and among the fibers of the lateral lemniscus and medial longitudinal fasciculus. On the basis of immunocytochemical and cytoarchitectonic data, PPN was divided into two distinct cell groups - a compact cell group located dorsolateral to the brachium conjunctivum and a diffuse cell group intermingled among the fibers of the brachium conjunctivum. Tissue processed for WGA-HRP and ChAT following injections of lectin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase into either the centrum medianum (CM) or parafascicular (Pf) nucleus resulted in double labeled cholinergic projection neurons in both PPN and ctt. Injections which involved CM and the caudal part of the central lateral thalamic nucleus (CL) resulted in more retrogradely labeled neurons than did those injections involving Pf. Injections of CM and CL also resulted in more double labeled cells in the dorsolateral compact portion of PPN than did injections confined to Pf. In all cases a small number of cholinergic neurons located in the contralateral PPN were retrogradely labeled as well. A substantial number of retrogradely labeled neurons were not ChAT positive, and in some cases, comprised up to 27% of the total population of projection neurons. Measurements of cell soma areas indicated that cells comprising the general cholinergic population were mostly medium (300-600 micrograms2) or large (greater than 600 micrograms2) in size. The majority of cholinergic projection neurons fell within the medium size category while the noncholinergic projection neurons were significantly smaller than their cholinergic counterparts. The results of this study suggest that in the dog, Ch5 cholinergic neurons which project to the caudal intralaminar thalamic nuclei are medium in size and are located primarily within PPN and ctt. In addition, a parallel projection to the caudal intralaminar nuclei exists which originates from smaller, non-cholinergic neurons in these same regions. Based on the results of this study, it appears that cholinergic projections to intralaminar thalamic nuclei which in turn project to the neostriatum may be one of the pathways over which PPN can affect basal ganglia activity.