Room P, Russchen F T, Groenewegen H J, Lohman A H
J Comp Neurol. 1985 Dec 1;242(1):40-55. doi: 10.1002/cne.902420104.
The projections from the caudal part of the medial frontal cortex, encompassing the prelimbic area (PL) and the infralimbic area (IL) (Brodmann's areas 32 and 25, respectively), were studied in the cat with the anterograde autoradiographic tracing technique. The results indicate that the projection fields of IL, in contrast to those of PL, are restricted almost exclusively to limbic structures. Whereas the major thalamic projections from PL reach the mediodorsal, anteromedial, and ventromedial nuclei, the medial part of the lateral posterior nucleus, and the parataenial and reticular nuclei, and weak projections from this area are directed to the nucleus reuniens and other midline nuclei, the nucleus reuniens is the major thalamic termination field of fibers arising from IL. Cortical areas that are reached by fibers originating in PL and, to a lesser degree, also in IL, include more rostral prefrontal areas (areas 8, 6, and 12), the agranular insular, and the rostral perirhinal cortices. In contrast, cortical areas that are more strongly related to IL include the cingulate, retrosplenial, caudal entorhinal, and perirhinal cortices and the subiculum of the hippocampal formation. Another prominent output of PL concerns projections to an extensive medial part of the caudate nucleus and the ventral striatum, whereas fibers from IL only distribute most ventrally in the striatum. In the amygdaloid complex, fibers from PL were found to reach the basolateral, basomedial, and central nuclei, and fibers from IL to distribute to the medial and central nuclei. PL furthermore projects to the claustrum and the endopiriform nucleus. Other structures in the basal forebrain, including the medial septum, the nuclei of the diagonal band, the preoptic area, and the lateral and dorsal hypothalamus are densely innervated by IL and only sparsely by PL. With respect to more caudal parts of the brainstem, projections from PL and IL appeared to be essentially similar. They reach the ventral tegmental area, the periaqueductal gray, the parabrachial nucleus, and in cases of PL injections were followed as far caudally as the pons.
采用顺行性放射自显影示踪技术，对猫内侧额叶皮质尾部的投射进行了研究，该区域包括前边缘区（PL）和边缘下区（IL）（分别对应于布罗德曼第32区和第25区）。结果表明，与PL不同，IL的投射区域几乎仅局限于边缘结构。PL的主要丘脑投射到达背内侧核、前内侧核、腹内侧核、外侧后核内侧部、旁缰核和网状核，该区域的微弱投射指向 reunien核和其他中线核，而reunien核是IL发出纤维的主要丘脑终末区。起源于PL以及程度较轻的起源于IL的纤维所到达的皮质区域，包括更靠前的前额叶区域（第8、6和12区）、无颗粒岛叶皮质和前梨状周皮质。相反，与IL关系更密切的皮质区域包括扣带回、压后皮质、尾侧内嗅皮质、梨状周皮质以及海马结构的下托。PL的另一个显著投射是到尾状核广泛的内侧部分和腹侧纹状体，而来自IL的纤维仅分布在纹状体最腹侧部分。在杏仁复合体中，发现来自PL的纤维到达基底外侧核、基底内侧核和中央核，来自IL的纤维分布到内侧核和中央核。此外，PL投射到屏状核和内梨状核。基底前脑的其他结构，包括内侧隔核、斜角带核、视前区以及外侧和背侧下丘脑，接受IL的密集支配，而PL的支配则很稀疏。关于脑干更靠尾侧的部分，PL和IL的投射基本相似。它们到达腹侧被盖区、导水管周围灰质、臂旁核，在注射PL的情况下，纤维可追踪到脑桥尾侧。
