Evidence for a periaqueductal gray-nucleus retroambiguus-spinal cord pathway in the rat

The nucleus retroambiguus in the cat has been shown to receive strong projections from the periaqueductal gray and to send fibres to distinct motoneuronal cell groups in brainstem and spinal cord. The nucleus retroambiguus plays a role in the production of vocalization and possibly copulatory (lordosis and mounting) behaviour. The question arises of whether a periaqueductal gray nucleus retroambiguus-spinal cord projection also exists in the rat. In the present study, using the retrograde wheatgerm agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase tracing technique, the nucleus retroambiguus was defined as the area in the caudal medulla oblongata (1.0-2.0 mm caudal to the obex) which sends its fibres mainly through the contralateral spinal cord. Further retrograde tracing experiments demonstrated that a relatively large number of neurons in the lateral and ventral periaqueductal gray and immediately adjacent tegmentum projects to the caudal medullary lateral tegmentum. Anterograde wheatgerm agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase tracing studies finally showed that neurons in the lateral periaqueductal gray and immediately adjoining tegmentum project specifically to the nucleus retroambiguus and not to the lateral tegmentum in general, which seems to be the case for the neurons in the ventral periaqueductal gray. The results indicate that in the rat a periaqueductal gray nucleus retroambiguus spinal cord projection also exists, which may be of crucial importance for the study of the anatomical and physiological framework of respiration, vocalization, and female and male reproductive behaviour in this animal.