Spinal afferents to the ventrobasal thalamic complex in the rat: an anatomical study using wheat-germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase.

The anterograde axonal transport of wheat-germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase was used to reassess the spinal afferents to the ventrobasal complex in the rat. Somatotopically-organized labeled fibers and fiber terminals could be observed in the lateral portion of the complex. The distribution of the labeling corresponded to that previously described for afferents originating from the dorsal column nuclei. Terminal fibers were drawn and their morphology analyzed in comparison to that observed for dorsal column nuclei terminals. These results are discussed with reference to the involvement of the ventrobasal complex in the transmission of nociceptive information in the rat.