The piriform cortex is not a direct olfactory relay to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in cats and rabbits.

Following injections of horseradish peroxidase into the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD), retrogradely labeled cells were found in various areas in the cat and rabbit. Among these, olfactory-related areas to which the olfactory bulb projects directly or indirectly via the piriform cortex were the olfactory tubercle, amygdala and insular cortex, while no labeled cells were detected in the piriform cortex and endopiriform nucleus in both species. These results indicate that the piriform cortex and endopiriform nucleus do not send their axons directly to the MD.