Rostrocaudal distribution of motoneurones and variation in ventral horn area within a segment of the feline thoracic spinal cord

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rostrocaudal distribution of motoneurones and variation in ventral horn area within a segment of the feline thoracic spinal cord

AU - Meehan, Claire Francesca

AU - Ford, Tim W

AU - Road, Jeremy D

AU - Donga, Revers

AU - Saywell, Shane A

AU - Anissimova, Natalia P

AU - Kirkwood, Peter A

N1 - Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PY - 2004

Y1 - 2004

N2 - Retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase, applied to cut peripheral nerves, was used to determine the rostrocaudal distribution of motoneurones supplying different branches of the ventral ramus for a single mid- or caudal thoracic segment in the cat. The motoneurones occupied a length of spinal cord equal to the segmental length but displaced rostrally from the segment as defined by the dorsal roots, with the number of motoneurones per unit length of cord higher in the rostral part of a segment (close to the entry of the most rostral dorsal root) than in the caudal part. The cross-sectional area of the ventral horn showed a rostrocaudal variation that closely paralleled the motoneurone distribution. The ratio between the number of motoneurones per unit length in the caudal and rostral regions of a segment (0.70) was similar to the ratio previously reported for the strength of functional projections of expiratory bulbospinal neurones (0.63). This is consistent with the motoneurones being the main targets of the bulbospinal neurones.

AB - Retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase, applied to cut peripheral nerves, was used to determine the rostrocaudal distribution of motoneurones supplying different branches of the ventral ramus for a single mid- or caudal thoracic segment in the cat. The motoneurones occupied a length of spinal cord equal to the segmental length but displaced rostrally from the segment as defined by the dorsal roots, with the number of motoneurones per unit length of cord higher in the rostral part of a segment (close to the entry of the most rostral dorsal root) than in the caudal part. The cross-sectional area of the ventral horn showed a rostrocaudal variation that closely paralleled the motoneurone distribution. The ratio between the number of motoneurones per unit length in the caudal and rostral regions of a segment (0.70) was similar to the ratio previously reported for the strength of functional projections of expiratory bulbospinal neurones (0.63). This is consistent with the motoneurones being the main targets of the bulbospinal neurones.

KW - Afferent Pathways

KW - Animals

KW - Anterior Horn Cells

KW - Cats

KW - Female

KW - Histological Techniques

KW - Horseradish Peroxidase

KW - Laminectomy

KW - Male

KW - Motor Neurons

KW - Spinal Cord

KW - Thoracic Nerves

U2 - 10.1002/cne.20096

DO - 10.1002/cne.20096

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 15065124

SN - 0021-9967

VL - 472

SP - 281

EP - 291

JO - Journal of Comparative Neurology

JF - Journal of Comparative Neurology

IS - 3

ER -