Pyramidal neurones of the dorsal cochlear nucleus: a Golgi and computer reconstruction study in cat.

The main projection neurones of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, termed pyramidal, bipolar or fusiform cells, have an apical dendritic arbor approaching the ependymal surface of the nucleus and a basal arbor oppositely directed. In Golgi-Del Rio-Hortega material these neurones were studied, with the light microscope, in nonconventional planes of sectioning oriented across or parallel to the main axis of the elongated nucleus. The pyramidal neurones were seen to be flattened across this axis. The size, shape and orientation of 21 cells from six blocks were studied in detail with computer-aided graphic reconstructions including stereo views. Camera lucida drawings of each cell (usually from several sections) were digitized to obtain x and y coordinates while z coordinates (depths in the tissue) were read from the fine focus knob during microscopy and typed interactively during digitization. The z values were corrected for the effects of refractive index differences in the optical system. Since it was the aim of this study to focus on some fundamental principles of structure and arrangement of pyramidal cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus rather than on topographic variations, only the middle, regularly built part of the nucleus was examined. Towards the ends of the nucleus the architecture is less regular and will require separate analysis. Measurements of arbor and total cell height and of dendritic length are given. The height of the apical and basal arbor in individual cells showed considerable reciprocity. The total dendritic length was up to 8300 micron (average 6536 micron). The basal arbors always proved to be conspicuously flattened; roughly, the width varied between about 300 and 700 micron (average 489 micron) and the thickness between 65 and 105 micron (average 80 micron). The apical arbors were also often flattened but much less and with a greater variability than the basal arbors (average width 319 micron, thickness 115 micron). The two arbors of individual cells were practically coplanar, the arbor planes showing only moderate angularity (bend) and/or torsion relative to each other (angularity maximum 10 degrees, average 5 degrees; torsion maximum 18 degrees, average 6 degrees). The mutual orientation of cells from the same block was examined. The planes through the basal arbors proved to be very parallel, the differences in orientation angles being between 10 and 0 degrees with rare exceptions. Clearly flattened, apical arbors showed a somewhat greater spread.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)