[Bulbar and pontine sources of catecholaminergic innervation of the spinal cord of the rat studied using monoamine fluorescence and retrograde labeling technics].

Organization of the neuroanatomical substrate providing the supraspinal catecholaminergic innervation of upper thoracic spinal cord in rat was studied by the retrograde neuronal labelling by means of primuline and HRP combined with simultaneous catecholamine fluorescence. It was shown that the pontine catecholaminergic neurons located within the ventral part of nucleus locus coeruleus (group A6), reticular formation (subcoeruleus, group A7) as well as lateral to the superior olivary complex (group A5) project to the spinal cord. At the same time there are only few neurons located within the rostral part of the medullary catecholaminergic group A1 which give rise to the funicular projections. It is suggested that the pontine catecholaminergic neurons taking part in the spinal innervation are noradrenaline-containing neurons whereas those of medulla oblongata--adrenaline-containing ones.