Atobe Yoshitoshi, Nakano Masato, Kadota Tetsuo, Hisajima Tatsuya, Goris Richard C, Funakoshi Kengo
Department of Neuroanatomy, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 236-0004 Japan.
J Comp Neurol. 2004 May 3;472(3):345-57. doi: 10.1002/cne.20081.
For the purposes of comparative anatomy, we used tracer techniques and immunohistochemistry to study the facial nerve in the pit viper Gloydius brevicaudus and obtained much new data applicable to the function of this nerve in snakes and, in particular, pit vipers. We were able to identify the superior salivatory nucleus in these snakes. Preganglionic fibers from this nucleus pass along the palatine nerve and an anterior communicating branch to reach the pterygopalatine ganglion attached to the deep branch of the trigeminal maxillary nerve. The palatine nerve also contains general somatic afferents and a very few special visceral afferents from some taste buds on the palate. In the mandibular direction, preganglionic fibers from the superior salivatory nucleus join special visceral efferents from the motor nucleus in the hyomandibular nerve, from which they pass into the chorda tympani to course together for a short distance. The special visceral efferents branch off outside the cranium, and the preganglionic fibers continue on to join the trigeminal mandibular nerve to project to small ganglia within the mandible. The chorda tympani also contains general somatic afferents from the mandibular region but no special visceral afferents. This is the first time that the superior salivatory nucleus and its adjuncts have been identified in a snake. The chorda tympani of these snakes is also distinguished from the mammalian condition by lacking any special visceral afferents and by branching outside the cranium.
为了进行比较解剖学研究，我们采用示踪技术和免疫组织化学方法，对短尾蝮蛇的面神经进行了研究，并获得了许多适用于蛇类尤其是蝮蛇类面神经功能的新数据。我们能够在这些蛇类中识别出上泌涎核。来自该核的节前纤维沿着腭神经和一条前交通支到达附着于三叉神经上颌支深支的翼腭神经节。腭神经还包含一般躯体传入纤维以及来自腭部一些味蕾的极少数特殊内脏传入纤维。在下颌方向，来自上泌涎核的节前纤维与来自动核的特殊内脏传出纤维在舌骨下颌神经中会合，它们由此进入鼓索神经并一起走行一小段距离。特殊内脏传出纤维在颅外分支，节前纤维继续前行与三叉神经下颌支会合，投射至下颌骨内的小神经节。鼓索神经还包含来自下颌区域的一般躯体传入纤维，但不包含特殊内脏传入纤维。这是首次在蛇类中识别出上泌涎核及其附属结构。这些蛇类的鼓索神经与哺乳动物的情况也有所不同，它没有任何特殊内脏传入纤维，且在颅外分支。
