Osen K K, Mugnaini E, Dahl A L, Christiansen A H
Arch Ital Biol. 1984 Sep;122(3):169-212.
The present account reconsiders the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining pattern of the cochlear nuclei with special emphasis on positively stained afferents from the olivocochlear neurons to the cochlear granule cells system. The main part of the study is based on AChE- and silver-stained sections of normal and brainstem-operated cats. AChE-stained sections of normal mouse, cat and chinchilla are used for comparative purposes. The rat superior olive contains three types of AChE-positive neurons probably contributing to the olivocochlear bundle; densely stained large neurons of the periolivary region, densely stained small neurons at the margin of the lateral superior olive (LSO), and weakly stained small neurons within LSO. Largely uncrossed fibers, probably collaterals of the olivocochlear bundle, enter the cochlear nuclei via three routes, defined here as the strial, subpeduncular and ventral routes. Collectively they form a terminal fiber plexus in certain portions of the granule cell domain, but with some fibers branching in the extragranular regions of the nuclear complex as well. The individual fibers end in a fashion resembling cerebellar mossy fibers. The cochlear nuclei in addition contain conspicuous dense patches of precipitate, which, like the AChE-positive fibers, appear after short incubation and are mainly restricted to the granule cell domain. In contrast to the fibers, however, they are resistant to central deafferentation and therefore may represent intrinsic structures of the granule cell system. Moreover, there is a diffuse neuropil precipitate which grows in distribution and density with incubation time. It is present both in granular and extragranular areas of the complex and is partly dependent upon the integrity of the weakly stained trapezoid body. In spite of considerable interspecies variations with regard to the described AChE-positive elements, these are present also in mouse, cat, and chinchilla. The significance of the findings and of the interspecies differences are discussed. A simplified terminology of the superior olivary complex is proposed.
本报告重新审视了耳蜗核的乙酰胆碱酯酶（AChE）染色模式，特别强调了从橄榄耳蜗神经元到耳蜗颗粒细胞系统的阳性染色传入纤维。该研究的主要部分基于正常和脑干手术猫的AChE和银染色切片。正常小鼠、猫和绒鼠的AChE染色切片用于比较目的。大鼠上橄榄核包含三种可能参与橄榄耳蜗束的AChE阳性神经元；橄榄周区域的深染大神经元、外侧上橄榄核（LSO）边缘的深染小神经元以及LSO内浅染的小神经元。大致未交叉的纤维，可能是橄榄耳蜗束的侧支，通过三条途径进入耳蜗核，这里定义为纹状、脚底下和腹侧途径。它们共同在颗粒细胞区域的某些部分形成终末纤维丛，但也有一些纤维在核复合体的颗粒外区域分支。单个纤维以类似于小脑苔藓纤维的方式终止。耳蜗核还含有明显的致密沉淀斑，与AChE阳性纤维一样，在短时间孵育后出现，主要局限于颗粒细胞区域。然而，与纤维不同的是，它们对中枢去传入不敏感，因此可能代表颗粒细胞系统的固有结构。此外，有一种弥漫性的神经毡沉淀随孵育时间分布和密度增加。它存在于复合体的颗粒和颗粒外区域，部分依赖于浅染的梯形体的完整性。尽管在所描述的AChE阳性成分方面存在相当大的种间差异，但这些成分在小鼠、猫和绒鼠中也存在。讨论了这些发现的意义和种间差异。提出了上橄榄复合体的简化术语。
