Brain stem localization of vagal preganglionic neurons.

The central distribution of vagal preganglionic neurons has been examined using the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In 27 adult cats, the entire vagus nerve was exposed to HRP. In 13 other cats we examined the brain stem following microinjections of HRP (10 microliter) into individual visceral organs - lung, heart and stomach. Comparison of individual cases led to the conclusion that different patterns exist for each visceral organ. The preganglionic (parasympathetic) innervation of the entire vagus nerve arises from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (dmnX), nucleus ambiguus (nA), nucleus retroambigualis (nRA), nucleus dorso-medialis (ndm), spinal nucleus of the accessory (nspA) and from the reticular formation between the dmnX and nA. Axons arising from the nA do not traverse the medulla laterally; rather they are initially directed dorso-medially toward the dmnX where they bend at right angles and accompany axons of neurons in the dmnX. The motor nuclei innervating the lungs, heart and stomach are dmnX, the nA and nRA: the dmnX contributes fibers to the heart, lungs and stomach from a region of 10 mm of medulla rostrocaudally; the nA contributes efferents to the 3 viscera studied from the entire 6 mm contributing vagal efferents; the nRA contributes efferents to the stomach in addition to providing innervation to the larynx and trachea (see 19). The area postrema (ap) receives afferent input from the lungs, heart and stomach, as indicated by extraperikaryal grains of HRP reaction product resulting from transganglionically transported HRP (through the ganglion nodosum). Sensory terminal labeling in the various subnuclei of the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (nTS) was also examined and it was found that no specific region of the medulla is devoted to receiving input from any one visceral organ; rather the rostro-caudal extent of vagal afferent terminals in the medulla spans the entire length of the medulla. Differences between the central representation of different viscera seemed to lie within the organization of the nuclear subgroups of the nTS.