Comparative anatomical studies on the cerebellar nuclei of the pangolins

The configurations and volumes of the cerebellar nuclei of left and right 10 sides of 5 cases of the pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) were examined with sagittal myelin sheath and toluidine blue stained serial sections and reconstruction models based upon these serial sections respectively. The cerebellar nuclei of the pangolins, same as in other mammals can be divided into four nuclei, nucleus medialis (M), nucleus interpositus posterior (P), nucleus interpositus anterior (A) and nucleus lateralis (L). In all cases from medially to laterally, M, P, A and L appear in order and disappear M, A, P and L in order respectively. The volume of each nucleus in the total volume of the cerebellar nuclei is: M; 5.3-7.9% P; 27.1-31.2% A; 17.6-22.9% L; 42.4-46.2% In right and left each cerebellar nuclei significant difference is not recognized as p is less than 0.05. The posterior protuberance of the nucleus medialis protrudes remarkably in 4 cases of No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 but in only 1 case of No. 5 it protrudes slightly. In nucleus interpositus posterior the ventrolateral protuberance protrudes slightly in 4 cases of No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 but in only 1 case of No. 2 it protrudes remarkably. The anterior protuberance protrudes remarkably in all cases and the superior protuberance protrudes remarkably in 3 cases of No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 but in 2 cases of No. 1 and No. 5 it protrudes slightly. In sulci, sulcus b and sulcus a' are distinct in all cases and sulcus a, sulcus c, sulcus b' and sulcus c' are considerably remarkable. In the toluidine blue stained serial sections, the nucleus medialis is composed of close small nerve cells, nucleus interpositus posterior is composed of the diffuse medium-sized nerve cells, nucleus interpositus anterior is composed of the close medium-sized nerve cells and nucleus lateralis is composed of the diffuse large nerve cells. In projection pictures of each subnuclei to the cerebellar cortex in each directions in the dorsal view the nucleus medialis is projected to the medial part of the folium vermis, the medial part of the nucleus interpositus posterior to the lateral part of the folium vermis and partly caudolateral part of the declive, and the lateral part of it to the crus II of the lobulus ansiformis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)